The Hot Sergeant (Second Chance Military Romance) (Hargrave Brothers - Book #2)

by Alexa Davis

  "You're right. I haven't known Olivia long and my love for her is pretty selfish. After all, she gives me so much. She's changed my whole life for the better and made me the happiest I've ever been. What can I really give her in return that would be worth as much? Jewels, mansions, sports cars?"

  "Nothing," Russell barked, taking the bait I had given him as easily as if I'd put it on a fucking hook. "There's nothing you can give to our little girl that would make you worthy of her. You can't buy her love with your billions of dollars, like you can all the other whores you've been with. Olivia is above caring about money or material things. We raised her right."

  "You're absolutely correct, and that's why I'm prepared to give it all away."

  "What? What are you talking about?" both Olivia's mother and father asked together.

  Looking them both in the eyes earnestly, so they could see the sincerity of my heart, I explained, "I used to be a lost man, focused solely on greed, money, and using others to take everything I could get for myself. Getting to know your daughter like I have these past eighteen months has changed my whole attitude on life. She is so loving and giving, and she cares so much about making other people happy, that she made me realized the purpose of life isn't taking, but giving. So, that's what I want to do. I'm going to give away my billions to charities around the world, both big and small. I want to help scientists discover cure for diseases, assist communities in feeding the hungry, and fund school programs to bring music, athletics, and state-of-the art technology to underprivileged students. I want to protect endangered animals, keep the environment clean, and rebuild towns that have been damaged by natural disasters. I want people to feel the grace of God through the charitable works of man by helping to fund churches that aid the poor, assist the elderly, and benefit their communities through good works. I want to help as many people through charities as I possibly can, and it's all thanks to Olivia."

  Marjorie's eyes welled up with emotion and a sigh escaped her lips. I could see a lot of her daughter in her face, and felt happy knowing that as Olivia aged, she would look as lovely as her mother. Russell, however, was not as easily won over. Slamming his fist on the table, he growled, "You can't fool me, son. Anyone can claim to be giving away all their money to charity. I'll believe it when I actually see it."

  "Then believe it." I opened my briefcase and handed him a thick file.

  With a distrustful glare, Russell snatched the file from me and began to flip through it. "What is all this?"

  "It's all the charitable contributions I've made this year and a record of my financial accounts."

  Marjorie leaned close to look too as her husband kept turning pages. She gasped and said, "That's our church! Tristan's the mysterious benefactor who secretly gave half a million dollars to our mission project."

  Russell didn't say a word, he just kept turning pages until he got to the end and said quietly, "You only have one tenth of your wealth left. You expect me to believe that over the course of the past year, you secretly gave away ninety percent of your money to charities without publically taking any credit for it? There hasn't been one word about this in any of papers, and I know a show off like you would only do a thing like this as some kind of PR stunt."

  "I don't care if you believe it or not. I did it because it was the right thing to do. I have more than enough money left to provide for Olivia, and we keep making more every day with the business she brilliantly created. She is one hell of a CEO, and in another few years, she'll have an even bigger income than I get from my remaining corporations.

  I gave the money away because it felt good, and once I started, I didn't want to stop. I don't need credit for it, and the only reason I'm telling you about the donations now is because I want you to see that I'm a changed man who is worthy of your daughter. She's an incredible young woman who deserves nothing but the best, and I want to be worthy of taking care of her."

  Marjorie clasped my hands from across the table with her eyes shining, ready to give me her blessing to marry Olivia, but Russell took her hands and pulled them back away from me, gripping them in his own protectively. Glaring at me, he said, "I could fake documents like these on any computer. You may have fooled everybody else into thinking you’re innocent, but I know that if a man can get away with drugs, murder, beating up women, and buying prostitutes; well then, telling a few lies and faking some bank statements wouldn't' be beyond him. You're the devil in disguise, but you can't fool me."

  "You don't trust me, fine. Hire a private investigator and let someone else tell you the truth about me." I leaned back in my chair, letting the bastard know I wasn't the least bit intimidated by him and had nothing to fucking hide.

  "I did. I hired one right after Margie and I left Los Angeles that night a year ago when you tricked out Olivia into staying with you. He followed you for months," Russell said with a gotcha attitude that was meant to make me shudder, but of course it didn't.

  "And what did he tell you about me?" I asked with ease. This dickhead needed to know he couldn't rattle me.

  Russell clamped his mouth shut angrily, but Marjorie spoke up in the silence, unable to contain herself. She said excitedly, "He reported that you had gotten our Olivia out of prostitution, sued the socks off that horrible man who ran that club, and forced him to stop using her picture in his ads."

  "That's enough, Margie," Russell growled, but his wife wouldn't be quiet any longer.

  "He said that you were working together on a business, and that Olivia had most of the power and prestige, while you worked in the background to help her anonymously. He said she was really thriving, and that the business was a huge success. He said that you gave her all the credit for it and most of the salary."

  "That's enough, Margie," Russell said more insistently, placing his hand over hers, but she still wouldn't be silenced.

  "The pictures he sent us were wonderful. I'd never seen her looking so happy and healthy in my life. She was beaming. I couldn't decide if it was because she was in love or because she finally found a career where she thrived. Our sweet Olivia had always struggled to find her place in this world and never felt content. It was a relief to me to see that she'd finally found a place where she truly belonged and was happy."

  "Shut up, Marjorie, and I mean it," Russell nearly shouted, and the table became incredible tense. I was enraged that he had spoken so harshly to his wife, and I seriously wanted to punch the fucking asshole. I didn't care if it would fucking ruin all the hard work I'd been doing trying to win him over; there were some things I just couldn't fucking abide and emotional abuse of women was one of them. I was about to tell him off, when his wife beat me to it.

  "Why should I shut up, Rusty? She's my daughter, too, and I have every right to be happy for her. Although he didn't start out that way, Tristan has become a good man. Doesn't God teach us to forgive and seek to redeem ourselves? Well, I think Tristan has done his best to become worthy of our respect and our daughter, and I forgive him for his earlier wrong doings," Marjorie said bravely, and Russell looked utterly taken aback. Then she turned to me and took my hand back into her own. "You have my blessing to marry our daughter. I know you love each other and that you'll do everything to make her happy. That's all I ever wanted for her."

  "Thank you, Mrs. Harte. I promise to cherish and protect her for the rest of our lives. Will you please come to our wedding? This past year of not being able to talk to you has been extremely hard on her, and having you back in her life is the one gift that would mean the world to her."

  "Yes, of course, I will," she said and I sighed with relief. We both stood up and hugged right in the middle of the crowded restaurant. When we sat back down at the table, however, Russell was still glaring.

  "Margie, this is outrageous. I can't believe you're allowing yourself to be corrupted by this monster. I refuse to waste one more second listening to his lies. We're not going to stand by and watch as he marries our daughter. Now come on; we're leaving."

  "Actua
lly, I'm staying, Rusty," Marjorie said, staying firmly seated. "I for one am going to give our daughter my unconditional love and support, like I should have been doing from the beginning. It's not our place to judge others for their sins. So, I'm going to have a nice lunch with our future son-in-law and make plans to be at their wedding."

  "If you do this, Margie; you'll be going alone. I refuse to condone this sinful behavior."

  "It's a wedding, not an orgy filled with drugs and violence," she said. Then she did something that fucking shocked shit out of us all. She looked her husband square in the eye and said, "If you don't do the right thing and walk your daughter down the aisle as she gets married, then we're through. I'll leave you, Russell Harte. I'll file for divorce from Los Angeles and never come home again."

  "You can't mean that," he choked, and for the first time, I actually felt sorry for the guy. He looked white as snow and I'd never seen him so terrified.

  "Oh yes, I can," Marjorie said without blinking. "I have stood by your side for all these years and giving you my unconditional support; and now it's time you do the same for our daughter. It's only right, Rusty, and if you can't do that, then you're no longer the good and moral man I married and I'll be forced to divorce you."

  "It means that much to you?" Russell said softly with watery eyes. It was the first glimpse of humanity I'd seen in the guy and it warmed my heart.

  "It means that much to us as a family – you, me, and our little girl."

  "All right. I'll be there." I couldn't fucking believe it. I had done it. I'd gotten the bastard to agree to come to the wedding. Actually, to be more precise, Olivia's mother had done it. The woman had worked a miracle and it was easy to see where Olivia got her grace and her strength.

  I ordered a bottle of champagne and after the waiter poured it, we raised our three glasses together in a toast and spent the rest of the lunch planning their trip to L.A. I'd arranged to pay for it all, from air fare to a car service, to hotel accommodations.

  "I can't wait to tell Olivia we're coming," Marjorie smiled happily.

  With a naughty grin, I said, "Actually, I have a better idea. Let's make it a surprise she'll never forget."

  "I knew he had a bit of the devil in him," Russell said, and for a brief moment, I felt worried. Then he raised his glass and continued, "That's exactly why I like him."

  Chapter Four: Olivia

  "How do I look?" I asked nervously, as I looked in the mirror. I was wearing a mermaid-style wedding gown tailored exclusively to hug all my curves in all the right ways. The bodice was encrusted with glittering diamond chips that sparkled in the light, and the silk skirt flowed downward into a fan tail of layers upon layers of gorgeous lace. My hair had been pulled up into an elegant pile of curls, and my make-up was done in soft neutral shades that highlighted my eyes and made my full lips look rosy pink. I looked like a princess and I was about to marry my prince, so why did a feel so nervous?

  "You look beautiful," Clara told me, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

  "Breathtaking is more like it," Suzanne corrected, choking back tears of her own.

  My two best friends came up and gently wrapped their arms around me, being careful not to ruin my dress. They were wearing elegant bridesmaids dresses of rosy pink chiffon that fell to the floor in soft layers of silk. They picked up their bouquets of pink roses intermixed with peonies and handed my bridal bouquet to me.

  Outside the little garden cottage where we were getting ready, I knew the backyard of the mansion was filled with hundreds of guests, sitting in rented chairs painted white and tied with ribbons. A long white carpet had been laid out between them to form an aisle with glowing candles and fragrant floral arrangements adorning the end of each row. A large lattice arch had been built at the end of the aisle, covered with pink roses and peonies, and underneath it stood a priest. Standing on the side of the stage, Tristan was waiting for me, looking handsome as hell in his black Armani tuxedo with a pink rose in his lapel. He'd asked Avery to be his best man and the vice-president of Kink On to be one of his groomsmen. I, of course, had asked Clara and Suzanne to be my two bridesmaids, and they had shared the duties of Maid of Honor, since I couldn't chose between them.

  We had invited many elite guests, as well as half the city of Los Angeles to celebrate our wedding, and it looked like everyone was in attendance. I only wished I had some family members on my side of the aisle, not just friends and colleagues. They were great, and I didn't mean to sound like I didn't love and appreciate them, but a wedding is just one of those occasions when family means so much and I couldn't pretend like it didn't hurt that mine wasn't there.

  Pushing back my heartbreak, I put a smile on my face and said to Clara, "Tell the string quartet to start the music. I'm ready to begin."

  "Not yet, you're missing something," Suzanne said with a mischievous grin.

  "Your grandmother's veil," a familiar voice said, and suddenly, my parents stepped into the cottage carrying the family heirloom made of tulle in their arms. I heard a scream echoing in the air, and I realized that it was me crying out in joy and surprise.

  "Mom! Dad! What are you doing here?" I cried out. Tears of happiness were streaming down my face, ruining my make-up, but I didn't care.

  "You didn't think I would miss the chance to walk my daughter down the aisle did you?" my father said, hugging me tight. His strong arms felt so good around me and I sighed with contentedness.

  "I'm so glad you're here. I love you so much," I said, hugging him back so hard he probably couldn't breathe.

  "We love you, too," my mother edged my father aside, eager for her turn to hug me. We held each other tight, crying tears of love and joy. My dress was being crushed, but it didn't matter. All that I cared about was I had my family back. "I want you to wear my mother's veil," my mother said and placed it on my head. The glittering tiara matched my dress perfectly and the way the netting trailed down to the floor made me feel even more elegant than before. It was absolutely perfect, and I smiled as I gazed at in the mirror. My mother sighed. "You really are the most beautiful bride."

  "Thank you for everything. It means more to me than words can say." I smiled and suddenly realized what a mess I was. I cleaned up my face and everyone helped me fix my make-up. Then my father held out his arm for me to hold so he could lead me down the aisle.

  "I can't believe you came." I smiled up at him as we waited for Clara and Suzanne to finish their march down the aisle.

  " Tristan was willing to give up a lot to win my approval. It was your mother, however, that finally set me straight. They made a formidable team, and I'm glad they did. I'm sorry for the way I've treated you. I love you and I'm really proud of the woman you've become."

  They were the words I'd waited my whole life to hear. Blinking back tears, I kissed my father's cheek and then I heard the sound of the string quartet playing playing “Here Comes The Bride.” It was time to go, and the crowd gasped and stood to their feet as I walked on my father's arm down the aisle towards my new life with Tristan. As he took my hand, and we stared in each other's eyes and said our vows to one another, I knew that I loved him more than ever before.

  As we were dancing on the dance floor during the teception afterwards, I whispered to him, "You made a miracle happen today by getting my parents to come here. I don't know how you did it."

  "You don't want to know. Let me just say it was worth the sacrifice." Tristan smiled at me with shimmering eyes.

  "Well, whatever the cost, I want you to know that I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you've made me."

  "You've already done it just by marrying me," he said and kissed me right on the dance floor. His lips were so tender I forgot anyone else was there, and it was just him and me, together forever.

  Chapter Five: Tristan

  I did it. I really fucking did it. I got Olivia's parents to come to our wedding and her father walked her down the aisle, just like she always wanted. I'd stood i
n front of God and all those hundreds of people and made a vow to love just one woman for the rest of my life, to give Olivia my loyalty, devotion, and respect. I had vowed to honor and cherish her forever. True, I had been married before, but my marriage to Janice had been different. I'd been nothing more than a fucking kid back then with no real idea what a commitment marriage was. I'd been foolish and selfish and naive. Now, I knew better; this time I knew exactly what I was committing to.

  I had married Janice in a civil ceremony with a judge. Olivia had wanted to get married by a priest and made our vows a covenant under God in front of all our family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones. I had to admit, it gave the ceremony a weight that I hadn't felt when I married Janice. It's hard to fucking explain, but this time my vows felt more real and I felt like I was really getting married for the first time.

  The reception was one hell of a party, with gallons of champagne, the best food prepared by gourmet chefs, and a terrific band that kept the party rocking long into the night. Everyone was having the time of their lives, and I even saw Olivia's prudish parents dancing and having fun. As great as the party was, however, I couldn't wait to get out of there and start our honeymoon. If Olivia thought seeing her parents was the big fucking surprise of the evening, I had an even bigger one coming.

  I watched adoringly as she threw the bouquet over her head into the crowd. The single women fought over it like a pack of rabid fucking dogs. Then we ran through the backyard through the cheering crowd and into the black Porsche that was waiting by the gate.

  "Where's Adam with the limo?" Olivia asked, and her eyes wide with surprise.

  "I didn't think we wanted to invite him along on our honeymoon," I said, half teasing and half serious.

  "So, where are we going on this mystery honeymoon of ours that you've kept so secret all these months?" she wanted to know.

  It was time to tell her the truth. I couldn't put it off any longer. I pulled the car up in front of the old dilapidated house and turned off the key to the car.