6+ Us Makes Eight_A Teacher and Single Dad Romance

by Nicole Elliot

  “Henley? Are you there?” I pried, as she had suddenly disappeared. I heard her breathing on the other line, but didn’t get much out of her.

  “Yeah, I’m here.” She inhaled sharply as if afraid. “I think you’ve been involved in a Ponzi scheme.”

  My fingers went dead around the phone as I took in her words. So many questions rant through my head, and I didn’t know where to start. Was she working for someone, getting inside secrets on us? Had we been set up?

  Henley was smart, but she wasn’t manipulative, so I hoped that wouldn’t be the case. But I took in her words and tried to find a way around it. I knew she wasn’t going anywhere though, so I knew I had to tackle this head on.

  “What makes you think that?” I asked her, as generic as possible.

  “I don’t think, Maverick. I know.” She snapped again. I was taken aback but chuckled nervously.

  “Okay. And how do you know?” I revised my question.

  “I did some digging, a lot of it. And I found some background information on this Derek Hatchett person, behind Hatchett Enterprises. Anyway, he has been buying and selling parts of his own company for years and then branched out into creating false trusts so other companies would do the same thing. And you did—your initial stake from three million to thirty million has been sitting in their fake company thing just accumulating these false trusts for weeks now.”

  I took in her explanation word for word and tried to calm my mind from screaming about it. I knew something was off, I just knew something didn’t seem right and now I was sure of it. Henley wouldn’t lie and that was a hell of a lot to make up, so I knew she was right. We had been played and now we were fucked. Unfortunately, not by Henley.

  “Wow. Okay.” I sighed.

  Henley did the same and I heard some noise on her end, “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. It’s how they’ve gone unnoticed. When they are done driving the cost up, they liquidate, cut their losses and strip for fake assets. The companies that invested lose, and they keep all profits. The whole thing is a scam.” She spoke quickly, and I heard the passion in her voice. I knew she was good as a corporate lawyer, but she was investigative too. Better than I expected.

  “Yeah, I can see that. Thank you for bringing this to me.” I told her. There was silence on both ends. I realized I hadn’t spoken to Henley since I stuffed her in our town car and then dropped her off at her apartment, and that was after we had that wild sex in a coat closet, for crying out loud. And now she was talking some serious shit and I was seeing her in an even better light.

  “Yeah. You’re welcome… so, what will you do?” Her voice softened.

  I took a deep breath as I thought. But there was no way I could make a decision in the moment, not without thinking it over more or talking to Jude.

  “I don’t know, Henley. I have to discuss this with Jude. Thank you again for bringing it to my attention.”

  “No problem, I knew I had to say something and I doubted you two would willingly enter into something like this. At least I hoped not.” She laughed once uneasily.

  I smiled softly, “That’s kind of you.”

  “I suppose. Look I gotta go, I’ll… talk to you later, I think.” I could practically hear her biting her lip.

  “You will, I promise. Now you know why we’ve been so absent. I’m sorry, we’ll get this all figured out. ”

  “Bye.” She hung up before I could say anything else. I sensed she was angry with me, but I needed to handle this first. And stressed out.

  I sighed and decided to table the issue until the next morning. I could speak with Jude about it while we were in the office and it was appropriate. Now, I just wanted a somewhat relaxing night and it wouldn’t involve stressing out about work.

  I got up from my desk and changed into my swim trunks to use our roof top pool. We had to blow over a lot of regulations to get it installed, but it was worth it in the end. I liked not having it out in the backyard because that’s where the garden was. We kept our grounds nice, and Jude didn’t care much but we had hired a designer anyway.

  I took a long swim in the pool to relax and clear my head and I still didn’t see Jude all night. I retreated to my room and showered before settling into my silk sheets to try and get a good night sleep. It was no fucking use, I tossed and turned until my alarm went off at five, and I got up for my morning workout. Our gym fit like a sky room, and the sun shined through as I went through a weight circuit, skipping cardio because I didn’t feel like it. I had my usual egg white breakfast and coffee, dressed in a gray suit to match my mood, and then headed to work.

  The office looked the same, everyone was acting normal, and had no idea the company was in the middle of a shit storm. I guess we were good at being secretive. I dreaded talking to Jude so much that I checked all my emails first, and replied to the important things first. I had a few meetings scheduled that I just rescheduled for later, and planned to go over things with them once Jude and I came to a decision. Finally, I shot him a text and he arrived in my office minutes later.

  “What do you want, man?” Jude said his usual greeting and sat on my desk. Which he knew I hated.

  “We need to talk. It’s serious.” I looked at him pointedly. He blinked and nodded once before sitting on the chair opposite my desk.

  “Okay. What is it?” His pointer finger went to his temple as he leaned on the chair.

  “Henley brought some things to my attention last night.” I started. His brow raised in interest and I continued. “She had done some research and found some things that were off about Hatchett.”

  “Besides his gout?” Jude chuckled.

  I frowned and stared at him. “It’s serious. Look, the whole operation is a Ponzi scheme. His company, the investments… everything was a fucking scam.”

  Jude widened his eyes I was sure the same way I had, and stared at me dead pan. I did the same and took in my own words. Saying it for the first time made everything so real.

  “Shit.” He finally said.

  “Yeah. Shit.”

  “And we’re sure she’s right?”

  “She definitely isn’t wrong. I don’t know where all of information came from, but it’s good. She’s a better lawyer than we thought.”

  “What do you want to do?” He leaned back in the chair and huffed. Neither of us wanted to do anything, quite frankly.

  “The first thing we have to do is cut our losses. Just cut off the investment and cut it even for how much we went in. That way the company isn’t impacted, and it can even be written off in back taxes.” I thought quickly.

  Having Jude there fueled my ideas, his brooding face helped me think a lot, honestly. It was how we made most of our investments in the beginning, and started everything up.

  “Sounds good. Put it in play.”

  “On it.” I did some clicking on my computer to send the right stuff off to financial. They knew not to make a fuss over it.

  “I still can’t believe Henley found this out.” Jude said.

  “Yeah. She’s something else man, we never would have caught it.” I said. Jude nodded and grinned slightly.

  “I always knew she had potential.”

  I cocked my head. “Couldn’t have been able to tell with the way you treated her at first.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Henley saved our asses, so things have changed.”

  I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she did. So what do you want to do—"

  “There’s no question what I want to do, Maverick.”

  I nodded in agreement. Neither of us were prepared to let Henley go now. She was too good an asset, too valuable to us, both in and out of the boardroom. She was ours before, but now she was the best asset we ever acquired.

  19

  Henley

  I felt like I had a purpose, helping Maverick and Jude. I had no idea how things went, and I wasn’t prepared to ask them either. I felt it was good to just distance myself and so I spent another Friday without them
. Of course, I actually left the apartment.

  I woke up early and less than cheery faced, but still went to a quick yoga session with a coupon I found online. It was nice, and I felt healthy and relaxed. Once I got back home I did some cleaning and watched television before I made breakfast, even trying a new breakfast pizza recipe.

  “Aww you cooked for me?” Denton startled me in the middle of my cooking and hugged me from behind. He smelled like his usual sharp cologne and hair gel.

  “Uh huh. I guess I did. And it’s healthy, so don’t worry about that.” I handed him one of the prepped pizza slices and watched him taste it. I wasn’t a perfect cook, but I could follow a recipe; so I was pleased to see him enjoy it.

  “Thanks babes. This is great.” He poured a cup of coffee to go with it and sat on the couch with another plate.

  He was dressed all casually in jeans and a tee shirt, so I knew he didn’t plan to go anywhere for the day.

  “Are you doing anything today?” I asked him over the kitchen fan.

  “Nope. You?” He asked me back.

  “Uh. No, as usual.”

  I heard him laugh and ignored him, but laughed too. At least it was the weekend, so I wouldn’t think just because I didn’t have a job, I had nothing to do. I cleaned up in the kitchen and took my own little portion of food and met him on the couch.

  “What are you watching?” I asked him as I took in a very good-looking carpenter on the television.

  “Some home improvement show.” He shrugged.

  We had finished eating and sat just watching the television. But the tension was in the air about that night at the club. I really hadn’t seen him since. He wasn’t home when I got back and I never really bothered him if I didn’t see him, especially if I knew he was working. So that was the first time we could really talk about it and I knew it was coming.

  “So, you want to tell me what that was last weekend?” Denton smirked and faced me on the couch. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I turned to him.

  He grinned and waited patiently.

  “What what was?” I feigned cluelessness.

  “Tell me! who were those guys? Who I may add, came right out of anyone’s wet dreams.” He held his hand up.

  “Okay… and yeah you’re right. I interviewed for a job with them, and I can’t really tell you much else. They’re very… private.” I figured that was enough of an explanation.

  But Denton gave me his hard look that told me he wasn’t buying it. “They dragged you out of there. I almost called the cops… but it was more fun to watch.” He laughed.

  “What? What if they were kidnapping me!?!” I smacked him and he just shrugged away.

  “You said it was fine! And you told me you would explain later—so explain!” He shouted.

  I rolled my eyes and sighed. It wasn’t that I was shy around Denton, we talked about everything and sex was one of them. But this was different. It was unconventional, and I knew not everyone would understand it. I could barely understand it, and I was the one living it. I mean—two men? It wasn’t exactly ideal for most people.

  “Okay. Well, they interviewed me. And then later on they gave me a different sort of um—agreement. That’s what I can’t really talk about, but we just… have this sort of thing going on.” I stuttered. Denton frowned at me and searched my eyes, but I tried not to give away too much.

  Denton could be overbearing and opinionated and I didn’t know which way he would swing on this one.

  “That doesn’t make any sense babes. What’s going on, Henley?” He touched my arm gently, forcing me to look at him.

  I sighed deeply and gave him as little detail as possible. “I’ve had sex with them. Both of them—um, at the same time?” I squeaked.

  Denton didn’t say anything and his voice didn’t even change before he suddenly switched gears and started laughing. I didn’t know what could be so funny, and I didn’t know why he thought anything was funny. I thought it was rather serious.

  “I’m sorry babes, it’s just you’re—you! And I always thought you were a prude, or the missionary in the dark type. But two guys? And those two guys? Jesus… how are you walking and sitting normally?” He looked me over in mock.

  I swatted him away. “Stop, I’m not a prude. And we haven’t done that yet.”

  He snickered, “You are a prude—it’s not that it’s anal.” He started laughing and I just laughed with him, even though he was making fun of me.

  But I didn’t mind because he is my best friend after all. Our moment was interrupted by a knock at the door, and I couldn’t imagine who would be coming here.

  “The man of the house has got it.” Denton joked, standing and he kissed my forehead before going to answer the door.

  It opened and I heard everything before I stood to investigate.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I gasped at the voice.

  Jude.

  He stood in my door way not only fuming and irritated, but not alone. Him and Maverick took up the tiny door frame, their wide shoulders, imposing bodies in cold gray suits took my breath away. And I was lost for breath or something to say until Jude shoved his way in and shut the door, facing Denton with a fury I had never seen before. Denton only stared back confused and a little amused, as Maverick just stood nearby ready to ref if it got ugly. I hoped it wouldn’t, but I stepped between them anyway and faced Jude.

  “Calm down.” I placed my hands on his hard chest, somehow still surprised by just how hard it was. And I inhaled his scent when I took a deep breath and nearly collapsed from the perfection of it. His fresh cologne and natural, hard aroma was dizzying and flooded right through my blood. I glanced at Maverick who smiled softly at me.

  “What’s he doing here? What aren’t you telling us?” Jude growled and stared down at me with hard eyes.

  I simply laugh at his question. The absurdity of it is what got me at first, and then how misguided it really was. Then I was stuck on how jealous he sounded, and wondered if it meant he was just territorial, or actually cared about me that much. I never saw anything with them that way, that they could have that much feeling towards me at all. I knew it was just an arrangement, outside of their office and one-sided hiring agreement. But I enjoyed it anyway, I had no problem with the way things were. Just that they were confusing and time consuming.

  But there they stood in my measly apartment, confronting me like I had done something wrong, demanding answers from me and staring me down like they want to see me naked at the same time they want to scold me. But I held back my laugh as I stood between him and Denton, trying not to be distracted by the strength of his chest and cut of his muscles.

  “Nothing, Jude. I’m not sure why you are so angry right now.” I said. His eyes sharpened as he looked over my head at Denton, who I could feel fuming. Denton wasn’t one for confrontation or conflict, so I knew he was just inside of himself by then, wondering what the hell was going on.

  “I saw you with him at the club, dancing all over each other. Now he is here at your apartment—so there must be something.” Jude said with a snap to his voice. And Maverick behind him, shuffled on his feet towards me to ease the tension. Behind me, I heard Denton snicker and I stepped away from Jude, effectively moving him away from the angry Jude.

  The space of our foyer seemed so much smaller with all of them there.

  “It’s our apartment, Jude. In fact, he pays most of the rent. Because we’re best friends.” I said. His brows screwed up together and he tightened his jaw. Maverick cleared his throat, and Jude turned to look at him for a split second before he focused on me and Denton, his eyes fleeting between us.

  “Yeah right, I know how these things go. Don’t lie to me, Henley. And you—” he turned to Denton with the same hard look in his eye and I turned to see Denton holding back his laugh, as he glanced down at me. I tried to apologize with my eyes, hoping the situation would resolve itself.

  “Henley is off limits.” Jude snarled and Maverick just shook his
head once at his friend, though his expression seemed to agree with what he had said.

  Denton laughed once and I turned to face him, my side facing Jude. I started to talk before Denton cut me off.

  “It’s okay,” he said to me, “that’s fine, um—whatever your names are. Unless Henley has a secret dick I don’t know about, I don’t want her. She’s just my needy best friend.” He locked me in his arm under his shoulder and I laughed nervously as I looked to Jude and Maverick.

  Jude straightened his tense form out and Maverick tried to hold back his laugh. The situation was funny now, but I was worried it could have gotten a lot worse. I was glad it hadn’t, as both Jude and Maverick seemed to relax a bit.

  “Okay then. Sorry about that.” Jude smirked at me.

  I wiggled out of Denton’s hold as he laughed.

  “No worries. Well, I’m going to take off so you all can… do whatever it is you do.” He shot me a look before he kissed my cheek goodbye, and left me in my apartment with Jude and Maverick.

  Those two dominant, alpha men were so overbearing it was almost hard to breathe. I inhaled sharply as I shifted on my feet.

  “So… now that things are all cleared up.” I giggled nervously.

  Jude smirked his usual sexy, mysterious look and Maverick stared me down as well. Suddenly my whole body was alive, on fire… I wanted them badly all the time, and it was no different. My knees were nearly quivering at the look they were giving me.

  “Henley.” Maverick said. He fiddled with the end of his cufflink as he looked at me, I watched the strong way his hand turned, his veins and even muscular hand were still a shock. If I thought hard enough I could imagine the way they felt on me.

  “Yes.” I swallowed, looking between them both. The darkness in their eyes was familiar to me—the desire; but it was still so crippling and exciting at the same time.

  “Wait for us in your bedroom.” Jude said. A growl nearly eminent in his voice.