‘I want to go.’
The captain rolled his eyes, knowing it wasn’t worth arguing. ‘Okay, take a patrol, but you stay behind them, Sherman, agreed?’
‘Agreed.’
He rode in the back of the cruiser as they weaved their way towards Riley’s apartment in Queen’s. As they parked outside, Charlie looked up at the building. There were no lights in Riley’s window.
‘Guys, stay vigilant. If he is in trouble, we don’t want to make it worse.’
The two patrolmen, whose names he didn’t know, went in first. They knocked at Riley’s second floor apartment door but there was no answer. Charlie nodded at the door. ‘He’s a cop and he might be hurt or…’
‘Understood.’
The burlier of the two kicked the door in. ‘Riley? Riley Kinsayle? It’s Charlie, dude, yell if you’re hurt.’
No answer. Charlie flicked the overhead light on. Riley’s apartment was clean, tidy, no sign of any disturbance. On the table, a laptop was open and switched on.
Charlie sighed. ‘Jesus, Riley.’ It was Tinsley’s laptop. Charlie shook his head, and then looked up sharply. ‘You guys hear that?’
The other men shook their heads and Charlie nodded towards a closed door, flicking the catch of his holster and drawing his pistol. The other men followed suit and led the way. As the first cop entered the room, he yelled that it was clear, and switched a light on.
‘Holy motherfuck,’ Charlie heard him hiss, ‘Sherman, come take a look at this.’
Charlie followed the other cop into what he saw was Riley’s bedroom. The bed was made, everything today and it wasn’t until he was fully in that he saw what the cop had seen. He sucked in a deep breath as if the shock was palpable. Riley’s bedroom wall was covered in photographs. Every one of them a different scene, a different day. They only had one thing in common.
Every single of one of them was of Lila…
End of Part Two
To be Continued
This Series will be finished by the end of this month (October)
Billionaire’s Treasure Series
(An Alpha Billionaire Romance)
By Michelle Love
A Billionaire’s Treasure
An Alpha Billionaire Romance
Book 1
By Michelle Love
When he first laid eyes on her he knew she was the one. Her brown eyes, wavy hair, and plump lips painted a matte wine red. What first caught his eye was the smirk on her face when the teacher called out everyone’s name and she didn’t reply. As he watched her he wondered how she could be bold enough to sit in on someone else’s class.
He walked to the middle of the class with his hands behind his back and smiled. You could hear the silent whistles and occasional “omg’s” coming from the female students. All except for her, that was new for this charming older man. She didn’t even move her eyes up from her bag to see what was going on. The older man was caught off guard being as though he was always the center of everyone’s attention when he walked into the room. A woman has never not taken an interest in him, so this random student not giving him the time of day made him drawn to her and only her.
“Hello, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Arsen Lockhart and here’s how I became a billionaire novelist”, the man announced before the class. As soon as the word “novelist” slipped out it was like something clicked inside of her brain. Her head popped up immediately and she began paying attention.
Lola Anderson. She was the epitome of stubbornness and ruination. Her only goal was to become a novelist so she never had time for relationships or even friendships. Besides one, that is. Lola has a best friend named Arabella Spencer and they’ve had an unbreakable bond since middle school. Lola was currently skipping her eight o’clock math class to spend time with Arabella and never expected that there would be a seminar. Who knew that this one day would be the start of something interesting.
They caught eye contact from across the room and from the moment he saw her he knew he had to have her. She bit down on her lip as she watched the much older man walk around the classroom. It was really a coincidence that on the day she skipped her class a great opportunity like this came about. There had to be a reason the universe pulled them together.
Lola
I began to feel very drawn to Arsen as he started his presentation. Despite being in college, no other guy had that certain type of confidence that he did. I examined the way he walked with his back straight and chin up, the way he spoke slowly making sure every word was articulate, and the way his eye contact burned holes straight through anyone’s head. He was the perfect guy, if I wanted one.
I quickly shook the thought of lust and started to take notes. He went into detail about how to market your novels for the age group that you want to sell to and that’s really where I struggled with my work, really trying to make them want my book in their home. He also owns a line of hotels across the country named after himself, The Lockhart. I wasn’t interested in any of that, though, the fact that this man was a novelist was really attractive to me. He told us about his daily routine and how strict the time period is for his workers, it showed how ruthless he was when it came to his work. He was stern and didn’t play with his work, a man who knew what he wanted and got it. What is this feeling? I fanned myself lightly and continued taking notes.
A half hour went by and the presentation was over. When Arsen went around to hand out his business card for whenever we needed to ‘contact him’, his smile melted the hearts of all of the female students. I fell victim of this feeling but I would never let that be known. When he handed me the card we made eye contact and there was this tingling feeling throughout my body. He winked and I was taken aback, feeling attracted but confused. I guess he noticed because he chuckled and moved on to the next row of students.
“What was that?” Arabella asked smiling. “He was totally just flirting with you”
I rolled my eyes and pulled my bag over my shoulder. “You’re over-analyzing things, Bella”.
“You like him!” Her eyes widened with excitement as she stared at me.
I raised an eyebrow trying to mask my nervousness and stood up from my seat. “I need coffee”, I forced out and left the room quickly.
I’m not sure how a simple gesture could get me to crack like that but it was strange, and I’ve never felt that before. I rushed out the class and straight to the coffee shop to clear my mind. I started to think about Arsen again as I waited in line. His suit was so nice, form fitting without a single piece of lint. His dark hair and piercing gray eyes.
“Hello! What can I get for you?” I heard faintly in my head. That confused me but I ignored it. “Excuse me!!”
I snapped back into reality and realized the barista was trying to get my attention. I laughed softly “Sorry about that, one large cup of vanilla hazelnut coffee please”.
The barista put in my order then told me my price. As I looked through my bag for my wallet I heard a familiar voice.
“I’ve got it, and add another large coffee, black” I saw a man extend his arm handing the barista a black card. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him and my body tensed up. All of my feelings from just 10 minutes ago came rushing back when I turned to see Arsen standing next to me with a smirk on his face.
“You didn’t.” I spoke lightly then cleared my throat. “You didn’t have too”
“I wanted to, so I did” He chuckled and took his coffee from the barista and I did the same. “Let’s talk”
My eyes widened and he chuckled again and walked away to a table in the corner. Taking a deep breath, I followed him to the table and sat in front of him.
“You’re not afraid?” I asked.
“Of?” He furrowed his eyebrows.
“Being out in public without some sort of bodyguard or protection. You know... being a billionaire and all” I took a sip of my coffee and almost moaned at the warm liquid rushing down through my chest.
“I have nothing to be
scared of…” He trailed off not knowing my name.
“Lola” I simply stated and stuck my hand out to shake his. He grabbed my hand and placed a kiss on it. I heard a girl gasp from the table behind us and I rolled my eyes.
“Too much?” He asked referring to the kiss.
I shook my head in disagreement. “Girls here are just annoying sometimes, but why did you want to speak with me?”
He smiled and took a sip of his coffee. He licked his lips and that made my stomach full of butterflies. “I saw you taking notes and I wanted to ask you what you thought about my seminar?”
“Arsen Lockhart cares what I think?” I questioned and smiled lightly.
“I do”, he smiled and drank more of his coffee. “So tell me, Lola, what did you think?”
“I really admire how strong working and dedicated you are” I pushed my hair back behind my ear. “Actually… can I interview you the next time you’re available?”
“Uh. Sure, what will this interview be about?” He leaned back in his seat and crossed his hands.
“You, and what made you want to become a novelist” I stared into his eyes as he nodded.
“I should be free next Tuesday at around 3. I’ll tell my assistant. Don’t be late, Lola.” and with that, he stood from his seat and left.
I just sat there not knowing what to do really. I was confused on why he decided to leave so abruptly but after a few minutes I shook the thought and went on about my day. I grabbed my cup of coffee and headed back to my suite which I shared with Anabella. When I got there she was sitting on the couch waiting for me with a smile on her face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I chuckled and took off my jacket, hanging it on the coat rack.
“I saw you and Mr. Lockhart at the coffee shop! You totally have a thing for him, Lo”
I plopped down on the couch beside her and kicked off my shoes. “Why do you think I have a thing for him, we only spoke for like 5 minutes?” I pulled my feet up and looked over at her.
“That’s the reason, Lola! You never give any guy—” I cut her off.
“He’s not a guy. He’s a man, so what if I talked to him that doesn’t mean I like him”
“You never give any guy or man the attention to even have a 5-minute conversation. You’re a hi and bye type of girl” Anabella smiled. “It’s good you say you don’t like him because he’s too old for you anyways”
Too old? I thought to myself. I’m a grown woman, I can date anyone as old as I want. I mentally rolled my eyes and flashed Anabella a fake small smile. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
Three days of normal activities went by and it was finally Tuesday. For some reason, I wanted to wear something that would catch his eye so I decided on a black button down, a black skirt that hugged my waist and hips, and a pair of red heels. I did my makeup neutral with a bold dark brown lip. I straightened my hair and smiled at myself in the mirror. If this look didn’t grab his attention I don’t know what would.
When I walked out of the bathroom Anabelle’s mouth dropped. “Where are you going? You look so hot!”
“My interview with Arsen is today” I smiled and grabbed my bag from the couch. “See ya’ later, babes”
I could feel her watching me in disbelief as I left out but I shrugged it off. Walking to my car a ton of guys were looking my way or trying to talk to me but I only wanted Arsen’s attention. I haven’t been interested in a guy since I’ve been in college so the act of developing feelings for someone was new to me. Like learning how to walk again.
I pulled up to his office, it was a place I’ve always seen but never thought to look up what it was since this isn’t where I’m from. When I walked through the huge glass doors, my heels clicked against the marble floors. That sound made me feel bold for some reason and helped me stay focused. I was here for an interview not to fall into the arms of Arsen Lockhart.
The walls had big beautiful paintings all on each of the wall. ‘The Lockhart’ was written on the wall behind the front desk. Although it was a big building I felt as if I belonged. Like this was the place I needed to be.
Arsen
“He’s straight through the doors” I heard my assistant say from afar. I turned from my view of the city to see Lola sitting there looking as beautiful as ever. I was shocked, she looked completely different from the jeans, sneakers, and ponytail she wore when I first saw her. I smirked and sat down at my desk.
“Hi Mr. Lockhart, how are you today?” She sat in front of me with a smile on her face and her notebook in hand. I watched as she opened it down and wrote something down. She looked back up at me confused as to why I was staring at her but I just chuckled and leaned back in my chair.
“I’m doing great, Lola. How are you?” I stood and walked to the front of my desk leaning against it. I looked down at her in her chair and finished before she could speak. “Let me guess… ‘I’m doing well Lockhart and I’m looking very beautiful as well”” I mimicked her voice and laughed.
She cleared her throat uncomfortably and shifted in her seat. “Good um. Actually, Mr. Lockhart, I was going to say I’m doing fine” She looked me directly in the eyes with a straight face.
I laughed, she couldn’t possibly be serious right now. Who knew she couldn’t take a joke. Scoffing, I grabbed a cigar from my desk and lit it. “Well, what are your questions?”
“For one, I wanted to know what inspired you to become a novelist” She looked down at her book ready to write. Her nails were painted beige and her hands looked soothing and slightly glossed from the lotion she used today.
“Since I was younger I’ve loved reading so by the time I was 17 I wrote my first book. It was never published but since then I’ve been extremely passionate about writing. It’s really all I ever wanted to do with my life so I decided to turn it into a career. Now look at me, a billionaire!” I laughed and took a drag from my cigar. I loved talking about myself. It’s not so much of a ‘cocky’ thing to do, I’m just very confident and talking about myself helps reminds me of how I made it to the top on my own.
“Great” She spoke writing down what I’d just said in her notes. “And how long have you been writing, Mr. Lockhart?”
“20 years” I returned back to my seat. “Published my first book when I was 22 years old”
I saw her eyes widen slightly but she continued to write. Her bracelets clanked together softly and her hair fell on her face. She was so beautiful, I really want her in my life. There was a silence in the room and the air grew thick. I decided to lighten the mood a bit.
“How old are you, Lola?”
“‘I’m 21, Mr. Lockhart” She kept her eyes on her notes but I could see her face turning red.
“Do you want to be a novelist?” I asked and she nodded.
She finally looked up at me and spoke. “I do, Mr. Lockhart”
“Call me Arsen,” I told her “How bad do you want to be a novelist? How hard are you willing to work for it? It’s not as easy as you may think. You can’t just write a book and get it published. It’s much more than that, it’s hard to catch the reader’s eye these days and this field is competitive since most people read on their electronics. To get to the top you have to be the best and don’t stop working, ever, until you get what you want.”
She sat there in shock not doing anything. She completely stopped writing and just started at me. She was startled and I could see it all over her face.
“Let me mentor you, Lola” I smiled and leaned forward on my desk.
“O-okay, Mr. Lock— Arsen” She shifted in her chair once more and wrote something down in her book. I could see her begin to turn red in the face again.
“Every Tuesday, same time” I stood up and fixed my tie. “I’ll show you out”
She looked at my confused and stood up following me towards the door. Before she could fully exit I grabbed her hand and planted a kiss on it. She furrowed her eyebrows and continued walking.
I can’t be around her too
long or I’ll just grab her and kiss her. She was so gorgeous, standing at 5’6 with the perfect curvy figure, long black hair. Her freckles were like constellations and her lips were pouty and desirable. There was no doubt in my mind that she was the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen my life and I had to have her. I don’t mean to come on to her too heavy but I guess she just needs time to get comfortable around me. She seems stubborn about who she gives her attention to and that’s what attracts me the most. I’d be a fool to let her slip through my fingertips.
Lola
He did it again! Cutting our meetings off short as if there wasn´t work that need to be done. I rolled my eyes at the thought of it and got in my car. I don’t understand him. The interview was going well until he just went on a rampage on what’s it like being a novelist. I appreciate the advice, I really do, but I didn’t expect all of that in that very moment. I definitely didn’t expect the kiss he left on my hand before I left. Although that was a very interesting experience, I am happy that he asked to be my mentor. I needed someone like him to help me where I need to be. The only problem with this is trying to focus on my work with him breathing down the side of my neck. I felt like I was going to melt right in his office but showing extreme amounts of affection too early with a guy can turn him off or give him the leverage to use you.
The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance Page 111
