Billionaires with Heart Boxset: Christian Romance Series

by Juliette Duncan

  “Yes, the girl’s still in a coma. And he was high when it all happened. It doesn’t look good for him.”

  “It might be a good chance for you to talk to him, Jen. I know you don’t want to let him think there’s anything between the two of you other than friendship, but I think he could use the support.”

  “I’ll text him and see if he wants to meet up. When’s the hearing?” she asked, although she already knew.

  “Friday.”

  She may not have time to see him, but although she would make every effort, she wasn’t overly worried, having prayed every day for him. God had it under control, of that she was sure. “I’ve been praying for him,” she said.

  “We should pray for him now.”

  Jenna nodded. “Good idea.”

  Brother and sister bowed their heads while she prayed. “Father God, we know that You’re in control of all things. We know that we can come to You in trust and obedience. Lord, we pray for our friend, Mitch. We pray that he would come to know You as the Lord of his life. We also ask that You would be with him throughout this hearing. Give him peace, oh Lord. We ask that if it’s Your will, that he would be shown leniency. But we also know that there are consequences to sin and we ask that he would come to understand that,” Jenna prayed.

  “Jesus, help us to continue supporting Mitch during this time. To show him the Father’s love in action. Thank You for the work You’ve already done in his life so far, and for everything You’ll continue to do. Change his heart, oh Lord, and lead him into new life with You. And of course, we also pray for Kendra. Lord, please help her to wake up soon, and until then, in her silent world, be her comfort.”

  They both sighed and leaned back in their chairs. There was a lot ahead for Mitch, but Jenna was confident that it was all under God’s control.

  Chapter 15

  “Guilty.”

  Mitch swallowed hard. The judge’s verdict weighed upon him, choking him. “Reckless driving. Guilty. Driving under the influence. Guilty. Reckless endangerment. Guilty.” There were other charges, but he’d stopped listening. They all ended with the same word: Guilty.

  The whole hearing was a blur, but as he walked out with his lawyer, he tried to listen as the man explained his options. He had a choice. Pay a huge fine or go to jail. Mitch groaned inwardly. He couldn’t afford to pay the hefty fine without his father’s help. Although he doubted his father would change his mind, he could ask, but Jenna had recently reminded him that as part of their agreement, he’d agreed not to. He’d agreed to deal with the consequences of his actions without his father’s help. How stupid of him.

  But did an agreement really matter? This was his life. The agreement was a mistake. He couldn’t go to jail. Just thinking of it filled him with fear. Billionaires didn’t go to jail; they paid their way out of it. Plus, he truly didn’t deserve punishment like this. Sure, he’d made a mistake, but this was unreasonable. He’d ask his father for the money. He couldn’t go to jail for one lousy mistake.

  He’d just had one night of fun. And Kendra would wake up soon. He was sure of it. Everything would be fine.

  But no one wanted to hear that or show him leniency. It seemed people preferred the idea of the rich boy facing consequences.

  His stomach heaved and he vomited into the garden.

  His lawyer handed him some tissues. “We’ll sort it, son. Don’t you worry.”

  Mitch stared at him in disbelief. How did he think he would sort it? He should have sorted it before it got this far. He wiped his face and tossed the tissues in the bin.

  Jenna and Kyle stood outside the courthouse. Catching her concerned gaze, he shook his head and shrugged. A number of photographers from his father’s rival papers snapped shots of him. His father glared at them but they treated him with disdain and kept clicking.

  “I’ll be a minute,” he told his father.

  Approaching Jenna, he blinked back tears. “Thanks for coming.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mitch.” She rubbed his arm.

  “Yeah, well, you know. It’s a fine or jail time.” He sniffed. “I know we agreed I wouldn’t ask my father for money, but I have to at least consider it. This is my life. I don’t want to go to jail for a stupid mistake.”

  He was sure that Jenna’s look was intended to shame him, but he didn’t need her judgment. “Don’t look at me like that just because I won’t keep to the agreement. You don’t get to decide what I do.”

  “I’m not disappointed in you for that. I’m disappointed that if you go that route, you’re running away from the consequences of your actions. Again. Not everybody has a wealthy father who can bail them out time and time again. But that’s your choice, Mitch. If you’re not willing to see this through on your own, maybe you’ll never learn.”

  Underneath, he knew she was right, but it was easier to be angry. “Why do I need to learn? What I did was stupid, but why should I go to jail if I don’t have to?”

  “Because actions have consequences. If you still can’t understand that money isn’t the answer to everything, then you may never do so. You’ll spend the rest of your life chasing more money and another high. And you’ll never find joy and contentment.”

  She turned from him. He wanted to yell at her, to tell her she didn’t know anything about the world and that it was ridiculous to expect him to be fine with all of this. However, he knew she was right, and he couldn’t yell at her for that.

  Later that night, lying in his bed, Jenna’s words played over in his mind. He had three choices. One was to crawl to his father and plead for the money. He assumed the answer would be no. He could plead with the judge to give him an extension until he received his trust fund. It was unlikely it would be granted, but it was worth a try. Or he could go to jail.

  That wasn’t an option. He’d apply for an extension. And to sweeten the application, he would offer to repay as much as he could from his wages, like a normal person would.

  If the judge was amenable, he would hopefully avoid prison. His pay was so measly he assumed the judge would laugh, but he’d hold his head high and promise to pay as much as he could.

  When he ran the idea past his lawyer, the lawyer suggested writing a letter to the judge to accompany the formal application. Explain his situation, but most of all, apologise for his irresponsible behaviour and explain the steps he was taking to change his life. His lawyer was semi-confident the judge would accept the application, especially with the proceeds of his trust fund being available in several months’ time.

  He began the letter with the apology, stating how he wished he could take everything back, how much he regretted what had happened and what he’d done. He included the fact that hurting Kendra was the worst part of it all, and something he deeply regretted.

  He went on to detail his plan to pay the fine through hard work at his new job until his trust fund became available. He explained that he was staying in a house where alcohol was not allowed and he hadn’t had a drink since the accident. He shared about the changes in his life and that whilst he’d chosen to stay away from his previous friends, none of them had visited him during his time at the hospital, anyway.

  He asked for the extension with a level of humility and eagerness that he was unaccustomed to. It felt good to confess everything, to get it all on paper.

  In the back of his mind, he continued to wonder about Kendra. Would she wake up sometime soon, or would she stay in the coma forever? He didn’t want to consider the other option that she might die.

  Chapter 16

  Jenna couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made a mistake. Every part of her believed that Mitch should take responsibility for his actions and face the consequences without running to his father, but could she live with herself if he went to jail because he couldn’t pay the fine?

  It seemed cruel and wrong that this could happen when he could ask his father for help. Was she doing this for his good or because she simply wanted a spoiled rich boy to learn a lesson?

&n
bsp; Was it possible he’d already learned enough?

  Taking on the role of Mitch’s mentor was a huge responsibility. If she’d pushed him the wrong way and he chose to take her advice, could she now change her mind and admit she’d been wrong? Her heart sank. Oh Lord, what have I done? I truly believed it was the right thing for Mitch to handle this on his own and not run to his father for help, but now I’m not so sure, and the weight of responsibility is pulling me down. Please guide me and direct me. I only want what’s best for Mitch.

  Arriving home, she sought direction from her Bible, but the verses that sprang out at her were not the ones she expected to find. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

  She gulped. What plank could she have in her eye? She was a practicing Christian who loved the Lord with all her heart. Confessed her sin regularly. Went to church each Sunday. Prayed daily. Loved others. What plank could she have?

  Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

  Tears welled in her eyes. Oh Lord, I’m sorry if I’ve become arrogant. What right did I have to presume I knew what was best for Mitch?

  Two days later, while listening to the sermon at church, Jenna felt strongly she should call him and tell him she’d been wrong to encourage him not to ask his father to help. She needed to tell him that she’d overstepped the mark and that she was sorry.

  As soon as she arrived home, she made the call. Her stomach churned with anxiety as she waited for him to answer. Perhaps he was still in the bath. Finally, he picked up. “Jenna. Hello.”

  “Hey, Mitch. How are you doing?”

  “Not too badly, considering. I’m sorry for how I spoke to you the other day at the courthouse. I was angry and didn’t handle myself well.”

  Blinking, Jenna’s mouth fell open. She tried to speak but no words came out.

  “And just so you know,” he continued, “I’ve decided not to ask my dad for help. I’m requesting an extension to pay the fine, and I put together a plan to start paying it off with savings from my wages. If the extension is granted, I won’t need to ask my dad for help or go to jail. If it’s not granted, I’ll have to rethink what to do.”

  “I’m lost for words, Mitch. I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thank you. After you spoke harshly to me, I went home and thought about what you said. It’s time I grew up, and I thank you for making me see that.”

  Jenna’s eyes flooded and she tightened her grip on the receiver. “I’m overwhelmed. I really am. That’s such a responsible step to take, Mitch. I’ll pray that the extension is granted.”

  “Would you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Thank you for everything. You’ve been such a special friend to me through this.”

  “You’re more than welcome.” After ending the call, she got down on her knees and thanked God for His grace and mercy. She also prayed a special blessing on Mitch for taking this unexpected stance, and that the extension would be granted.

  Chapter 17

  Mitch was lying on his bed late that Sunday afternoon when his phone rang. He didn’t know the number but took the call anyway.

  “Hello. Is this Mitchell Carmichael?” asked the male voice on the other end. The voice carried authority, and Mitch sat, immediately alert. “Yes, that’s me.”

  “Hi, Mitchell. This is Alexander Freeman. I’m your new lawyer. Has your father called you yet?”

  “No. Why do I need a new lawyer?”

  “Because Miss McKinnon passed away early this afternoon.”

  A cold chill swept through Mitch’s chest as the world around him swirled and blurred into colours instead of shapes.

  Kendra ... dead? She couldn’t be.

  “Your father has engaged me to handle your defence. Can you come to my office tomorrow morning so we can discuss your position? Mitchell, are you there?” The lawyer’s voice penetrated his fog.

  “Yes, I’m here.”

  “Good. I have information that will help. Be at my office by nine. I’ll text you the details.”

  After the lawyer ended the call, Mitch hung his head and wept.

  Sometime later, Kyle knocked on his door. “Dinner’s ready, Mitch.”

  Mitch rolled over and faced the wall. “I’m not hungry.”

  “Are you alright?”

  He didn’t answer. He couldn’t. He was floundering in an agonising maelstrom of emotion. The door opened and Kyle stepped inside. “You’re shaking. What’s wrong?” He rushed over to the bed and felt Mitch’s forehead. “I’ll grab another blanket. You’re freezing.”

  “Dead... Kendra’s dead.” Mitch’s voice was barely a whisper.

  Kyle stopped and turned around. “What did you say?”

  “Kendra’s dead.” Mitch’s throat felt thick and he struggled to speak.

  “No wonder you’re shivering. I’ll grab some tea.”

  “I’d rather a beer.”

  “I guess you would. But tea will be better for you.”

  Kyle returned with a mug of hot tea and kept watch over him all night.

  When morning came, he offered to drive Mitch to the lawyer’s office. The first thing Alexander Freeman told Mitch was that his request for an extension would be void once the new charge of manslaughter was laid against him. “When you’re charged, you’ll be taken into remand. We’ll apply for bail, but it may or may not be granted. If you’re convicted, manslaughter carries a maximum of twenty-five years in prison. However, there are some mitigating circumstances we might be able to use to get you off altogether, or if not, to reduce your sentence.”

  Mitch frowned. “Like what?”

  “Drugs were detected in Miss McKinnon’s body when she first arrived at the hospital. While that doesn’t mitigate the fact that you were the one driving, since she’d taken drugs, it casts some of the blame on her as well. I want to use that information in your defence.”

  Mitch’s father was seated beside him. “It’s our only chance, son.”

  But Mitch couldn’t go down that road. He was appalled that it was even being suggested. “Wait…”

  Alexander allowed the pen to hover over a stack of papers and looked over his glasses at Mitch.

  “Can…can you give me a minute?” Mitch asked, pushing back his chair. He needed to get out of there to digest this information. To have space to think. He didn’t miss the puzzled look that passed between Alexander and his father.

  “Don’t take long, Mitchell. There’s a lot of work to be done and not a lot of time to do it in,” the lawyer replied.

  Mitch found his way to the bathroom along the corridor, and once inside, closed his eyes and breathed heavily as he leaned back against the wall. He had to tell them the truth. But how could he? How could he confess when it would mean certain incarceration?

  As he slumped against the wall, the events of that evening came back and grew vivid in his mind. He’d been looking for a good time and had chosen Danny’s Nightclub on Lloyds, a classy joint in the top-end of town. As soon as he laid eyes on tall, exotic Kendra, he knew he’d hit the jackpot. Standing at the bar on her own, she was wearing a glittering gold mesh jumpsuit and toying with a margarita. He made a beeline for her and bought her another. Over the dance music, he chatted her up and plied her with drinks. He suggested they do a line to spice things up. She said she wasn’t a user. He’d laughed at that and slipped a pill into her drink when she wasn’t looking. A cold shiver spread over his body as he remembered.

  The drug kicked in and she told Mitch she could party all night. And they did.

  He’d never told anybody he’d drugged her. And now
they were wanting to cast the blame onto her. She didn’t know what she was doing when she got into the car with him.

  He could say she’d willingly taken the drug. But he’d changed. Over the past months, since the accident, since meeting Jenna, something had changed deep inside him and he was no longer the selfish person he used to be.

  He wasn’t perfect. Far from it, but he’d changed enough to accept that he couldn’t allow Kendra’s parents to believe untruths about their daughter. He’d never know if she would have gotten into the car with him if he hadn’t drugged her, but the fact remained—he had. And because he had, she was dead.

  He could ruin the reputation of the woman he’d killed and allow her family to think she took drugs, or he could accept full responsibility and accept the consequences.

  There was only one option. The hard one. The one that would make his father and lawyer furious. The one that would result in him going to jail.

  Chapter 18

  Two days later, Jenna arrived at the Remand Centre to visit Mitch. He might not want to see her, but right now, she knew he’d need a friend.

  When she’d heard that Kendra had passed away, she’d called him immediately but he hadn’t answered his phone. Kyle told her the following day that he’d had a really rough night and they’d stayed up most of it talking. She was so glad Kyle had been with him, but now Mitch had been remanded, he was all alone.

  His eyes lit up briefly as she entered the visitor’s room and sat opposite him. He looked terrible. It was clear by the dark circles under his eyes that he hadn’t been sleeping.

  “How are you doing?” she asked, struggling to come to terms with his prison garb.

  He blew out a breath and his shoulders sagged. “Not great, but I guess I’ll get used to it.”

  Her heart ached for him.

  “My lawyer wants to shift part of the blame onto Kendra.”