Billionaires Runaway Bride (A Standalone British Billionaire Romance Novel)

by Claire Adams

  “Doesn’t she know you come to work earlier than this?” Tony asked. “Did she want you to be inside when she did this?”

  “She saw me at Parker’s this morning; she could have done this thinking that I was still there.” Would she have gone so far as to want me to be inside when it happened? I hoped not. But it was obvious she was hurting and would do anything to lash out at Parker and me. Money did strange things to people, and now she had none. She was desperate. And desperate people did wacky things. I had a strange sixth sense about that girl, and I knew I wasn’t wrong this time, either.

  “I should call Parker,” I said, reaching into the car to get my phone.

  “Are you going to say something about Rachel?” Tony asked.

  I shook my head, but I wasn’t sure. If I was going to accuse her, I needed him to be with me first. It was easy enough to diffuse the situation over the phone, but he needed to see the damage she’d caused, plus if I were being honest, then I knew that we wouldn’t have to press charges against her. The insurance company would do that for me.

  When Parker picked up, hearing his voice made my emotions let loose. There were so many memories in that place and now it was going to be reduced to nothing.

  “Parker,” I said, my voice cracking.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  I took a deep breath and tried to choke back the sob that threatened to let loose. “No. I’m not. You need to come to the diner right away.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  “Okay, bye,” I said and hung up.

  I took a breath and pulled my hair away from my face. What had started off as an amazing day turned into a shit-show the second Rachel came back into our lives. She was going to pay for this. How would she react to wearing an orange jumpsuit every day? I had a feeling she wouldn’t be happy with how the color complemented her fake tan.

  Two fire trucks pulled up to the diner, then a large white truck came up behind it. The lettering on the side of the truck read: SUPERVISOR. A man came out of it and walked over to us.

  “Stay back, folks. We’re going to knock this down soon.”

  I nodded, unable to speak as the other firemen pulled long hoses out from the trucks and hooked them up to the hydrant. It all happened quickly, but in my mind, it felt like hours. When that was done, then they started spraying water over the flames.

  Tony pulled me close to him as we watched them work. The whole ordeal was incredibly surreal. My life’s work was reduced to ashes in a short matter of time. I knew even with the building’s insurance, I wouldn’t be able to bring the diner back to its original form. Since I’d been tight on money, I’d opted for a higher deductible so I could bring down my monthly payment. Though I never expected someone to set fire to the place.

  Parker’s car turned around the corner and I broke away from Tony, waving Parker over. He skidded to a stop by the curb and jumped out of his car, which was still running.

  “Sienna, are you okay? Were you in there?” Parker held me at arm's length, checking my body from head to toe. “What happened?”

  “We’re fine. Tony’s cycle stalled and we were late.”

  “Thank God,” Parker said. “Do they know what caused it?”

  Tony and I shared a look.

  “What am I missing?” Parker asked.

  “Sienna has a theory,” Tony prompted.

  Suddenly my mouth dried up. I was used to holding my tongue about Rachel, but now I didn’t have to anymore. “It had to be Rachel.”

  “Rachel?” Parker said. “Did you see her do this?”

  “No,” I said, and I was pretty sure I lost all credibility at that point. So I scrambled to throw my theory out there and see if any of it stuck. “But all of the electric and gas utilities were serviced and I double-checked everything before I left yesterday. This wasn’t an accident. And from the way she threatened us this morning, who else would want to see my business go up in flames?”

  Parker rubbed his hands over his eyes. “I’m not sure she would stoop this low. I mean, this is arson. She could have major jail time for this.”

  I clenched my jaw. If no one was going to believe me, I’d have to prove it somehow.

  Parker took my hands in his. “Sienna, don’t worry about Rachel. I’ll take care of it.”

  Like hell did I want Rachel anywhere near him again. I’d have to wait until they figured out the cause first before I did anything. “Parker, don’t worry about it. I’m just a little rattled by all of this. And she really pissed me off this morning.”

  “Sienna, I understand completely. She’s never going to bother us again. I’ll make sure of that.”

  Even if Rachel did this as some act of revenge, I’d won the real war. I had my best friend on my side, and as a team, we were unstoppable.

  “Ma’am,” one of the fireman walked up. The badge on his chest showed that he was the captain. I’d have guessed it either way with his aged face and kind eyes. “Any clue what happened here?”

  “Not really.” I gave a shrug and glanced back at Parker.

  “Well, the fire inspector will be on his way shortly once we put this thing out. He’ll have to interview you.”

  “We understand.” Parker stepped up beside me, taking the conversation away from me, thankfully. Rachel would get hers, and I wouldn’t have to do a damn thing. Karma or the fire marshal—one would make sure of it.

  Parker finished up talking with the fire chief and walked back toward me, cupping my face and pulling me close to him. He dropped his lips to mine and my insides exploded. This was all I needed right now. I was happy that no one got hurt in the fire, and as long as we were together, everything would work itself out.

  I stared up at Parker as the flickering flames behind me moved in his eyes, and we kissed.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Parker

  One week later

  My finger hovered over the trigger of the gun. This one only needed a light touch to fire, so I was careful not to put any pressure on it too soon. I needed to have the perfect aim before shooting her. I stepped forward, first with my heel, then my toes, so I didn’t make a sound. I didn’t need to get caught before I got the job done.

  “Do you have a location on her?” Tony hissed from a few feet away.

  I shook my head once. “I’ll give you the signal first. You give some cover fire as a distraction and I will take her down.” I had to do this myself. I’d take her down once and for all. Then she’d finally be off our backs for good.

  I narrowed my eyes and I thought I saw movement in the distance. I held up two fingers and signaled for Tony to go to the right. With him over there, I’d take her left side. She didn’t stand a chance.

  Tony nodded as he honed in on the same position I was seeing.

  Just as I brought down my signal for him to shoot, a sharp pain ripped through my leg. I stumbled and fell forward. Tony turned too late, and red spots dotted his chest.

  “No!” I called out. How had she done it again?

  “I’m the best!” Sienna screamed out. She held her paintball gun high in the air and pumped it toward the tops of the trees around us. “And you two are looooosers,” she sang while skipping and dancing around us. Leaves and other forest fauna kicked up around her feet.

  “How did you get around us?” Tony asked, wiping red paint from his chin. “We thought you were in that direction.”

  “I’m stealthier than you,” she said. “And overall, a better shot than the both of you combined. Which is why I’ve been winning every single game.”

  “All right,” I said, standing up. “You won. I say we get some lunch. I’m feeling a little lightheaded.”

  “Don’t think that’s an excuse, big boy!” Sienna said starting up her dancing again. “I won, fair and square.”

  I knew if I continued to bait her she’d keep firing back at me. So instead, I didn’t give in to her. Something I knew would annoy her even more.

  I smirked and
dropped my arm over her shoulder. “You’re the best, babe,” I said, kissing her cheek.

  She pouted up at me. I knew she wanted to continue to gloat, but I’d won that round.

  “Parker’s paying!” Tony said then took off toward the main building of the paintball arena.

  “Does he think if he gets there last, something will happen?” I asked.

  “No, I think he’s politely leaving us alone.”

  “Oh, that’s nice of him,” I said, squeezing her ass.

  “Hey!” she swatted at me and I jumped away before she could hit me.

  Tony was far ahead of us, now a moving dot among the trees. “Should we try and catch up to him?”

  “Nah,” Sienna said. “He’ll be out of breath and dragging before we get there.”

  “I’m still paying, though?”

  “Yes, you are.”

  I kissed the top of her head. “This is quite unfair, you know. You two shouldn’t assume I’ll pay for everything.” I tried to sound upset about it, but it was hard. How did chicks do that all the time?

  “You’re the one who invited us,” Sienna said in a reasonable tone. “So, we’re all technically on a date with you, so it would only be polite to pay.”

  “True.”

  “And the fact that you could buy three of these places….”

  “That’s an even better point.”

  Sienna slung her gun over her shoulder and took my hand in hers as we followed the path out of the woods. I couldn’t help but ask about Rachel, though I knew she wouldn’t want me bringing it up. She’d been so closed up about the whole situation, which worried me a little.

  “Hey. What ended up happening with your insurance company?” I asked softly, praying I wouldn’t disturb our good time.

  She glanced back, stealing my heart. “They blamed it on faulty wiring and closed the case down. I know I should have given them my theory, but honestly, I just want Rachel out of our lives. I hope you understand.”

  I didn’t, but it was irrelevant. “And they took care of the lien on the building?”

  “Yep. Now, hush about it.” She smiled and turned around, gaining herself a pop on the butt for her cheekiness. Her laughter caused my heart to lighten. Rachel had fucked Sienna over good, but maybe the last laugh was with my girl. She’d come out winning on all fronts, from what I could tell. That’s all that mattered either way.

  Sienna was right about Tony dragging. We found him sitting on a bench outside of the building, sucking in deep breaths of air. When he saw us coming out of the woods, he stood up as if he’d been impatiently waiting for us for hours. His skin was red and splotchy, and it wasn’t from the paint.

  For once, Sienna didn’t take the opportunity to mess with him. We’d both been in a great mood since we got together last week. Our normal cynical jokes didn’t seem as funny sometimes when we were blissfully happy. It was almost as if she wanted to share her happiness with others, including Tony.

  And I didn’t mind keeping things light. I had a feeling she was still hurting on the inside from the fire that destroyed her diner. I had a seedling plan to fix that part of her life, but I needed some more time to execute it.

  Without anywhere for us to go, we’d planned an entire day at the paintball arena. So we ate at the little cafeteria, taking a much-needed break. I tried not to wince as I felt the bruises from the previous games forming under my skin. Sienna would never let it go if I complained.

  We ordered a tray of hot dogs, chicken tenders, burgers, and fries to split among the three of us. When Tony returned, the tray was overflowing. To anyone else, it might seem like a lot of food, but all three of us were voracious eaters. I was sure there wouldn’t be a single fry left uneaten.

  We filled our plates and dug in. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I finished all the food on my plate in about five minutes flat. Tony had the same idea, and we both refilled at the same time.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” Tony said with a mouth filled with hot dog, “this food is good, but I really miss your cooking, Sienna.” He gave me a look, which meant it was my turn.

  We’d been trying to get Sienna to talk about the diner for the past week, but every time we did, she changed the subject. The fire investigator had been unable to determine the cause of the fire and defaulted to blaming the wiring as the cause, which put us in limbo. I still thought she blamed Rachel, but I didn’t want to bring up the past. That was over for us. We needed to move forward as a couple. We couldn’t do that with the most important piece of her life missing.

  And I still had a hard time believing Rachel would do something like that. Sienna had seen Rachel at a low moment, but I’d seen her lose it worse over a pair of shoes. And as much as I wanted to ease Sienna’s mind, I knew going down that path was a slippery slope that I wasn’t willing to cross right now. If ever.

  Sienna needed time to get over this. Once her head was cleared, we’d be able to move past it together.

  “You can always come over and I’ll cook for you,” she said, staring at her burger.

  “I think it was more than about just the food,” I said. “I know it was like your home. And that’s not easy to let go of.”

  Her eyes lifted and she looked from Tony to me. “Guys, I know what you’re doing. And I’m fine. It was an unfortunate accident. And I have to move on from it as much as you do. With the insurance money, we both can live for months until we figure out what to do next.”

  “Don’t you want to rebuild?” Tony asked. “I can always help with whatever you need.”

  Sienna sighed. “There isn’t enough to do everything.”

  She shot me a look that said “keep your mouth shut” and I pressed my lips together. She didn’t want any financial help from me even though, as she’d said before, I could have afforded it.

  “What did you want to do instead?” Tony asked. “You want to get another job?”

  She shrugged. “Something in the industry. Though I’m not sure about having a boss. It’s been so long since I’ve had one.”

  “I’d like to get one that’s not such a pain in the ass,” Tony said. Then he dodged a french fry that Sienna threw at his head.

  “Everything will work out eventually,” she said with a smile.

  I sensed the sadness under the smile, but I also could tell from her eyes that she didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She’d probably downplay the whole situation for the rest of her life. Which was why I had to work on my plan as soon as possible. I had all the time in the world now, without my company to run. And I needed a project, or else I would go insane with boredom. I hoped I’d be able to get it done before Sienna got tired of not working, too.

  We finished up with lunch and sat at the table for some time, talking about the good times at the diner. Sienna and Tony had a lot of stories, and some of them I’d never heard before. Their laughter and happy tears at the memories gave me an even bigger resolve about my plan.

  “All right,” Sienna said, clapping her hands together. “Let’s get out of these nostalgic memories and get back on the field. I’m ready to kick your asses again.”

  “Can I be on your team this time?” Tony asked. “I’d like to win for once.”

  “Hey!” I jeered. “You’re the weak link.”

  “Like hell I am!”

  “If your shoulders were normal-sized then you wouldn’t keep giving away our position.”

  Tony opened his mouth in mock horror. “I can show you what these shoulders can do in a fist fight.”

  I laughed and Sienna rolled her eyes. “Okay, guys, let’s get out your dueling pistols and settle this on the field.”

  Throughout the next four matches, Sienna managed to win them all. We were in the fifth match when Tony and I made a strategic plan to split up completely. It was the only consistent thing we were doing the entire time, and we had to get her. I didn’t have that need to take her down as much as I wanted to earlier that day. Now, I didn’t care who took her down as long
as someone did. We had to win, or I’d never hear the end of it.

  We were fifteen minutes into the game when I heard shots being fired from behind me. I sneaked over and stood behind a tree. I poked my head out and saw Sienna dancing after taking down Tony.

  This was my chance! I took a breath and then raced off toward her, careful to stay on the balls of my feet so she didn’t hear me coming. She turned slowly when I was inches from her.

  She let out a scream when I tackled her to the ground. Our guns went flying away from us.

  “Gotcha!”

  She let out a whoosh of air and groaned in pain. I knew I didn’t hit her that hard and this was the only advantage I had all day.

  She wriggled under me. “Get off me. You’re so heavy!”

  “That’s not what you said last night,” I whispered into her ear.

  She laughed and tried to move me.

  Her efforts were weak, and when I dropped my mouth to hers, she stopped moving. That little moan of hers that always turned me on burst from her lips.

  “Ugh, gross!” Tony called.

  Sienna smiled against my lips and I deepened the kiss. I didn’t care what anyone said about us: I was a man in love.

  “Parker,” she said when we came up for air.

  “Hmm?” I could have stayed there all day with her. I found that I had that feeling whenever we were together. Even though we were covered in leaves, dirt, and god knows what else, as long as she was there, I was content.

  “We should go,” she said. “And we can finish this at home.”

  Never in my life had I jumped up from the ground so quickly.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Sienna

  I rolled over and bumped into something solid and hard next to me. I smiled as I opened my eyes. Even though it was dark, I could picture Parker’s facial features as he slept beside me. I still wasn’t used to having someone else in bed with me. It was a new and welcome difference in my life. Unlike the unwelcome one that led me to not having a job and an unsteady financial future.