Bancroft and Ford: Alpha Male Bad Boy Billionaire Romance

by Kristen Lane

  Chapter 4

  Michael stopped his car at the large and ornate security gates in front of Timothy Preco’s residence. He knew the Captain would have his hide for coming to interrogate the billionaire, wanna-be celebrity with out first checking with him, but Michael didn’t want to risk anyone forewarning Mr. Preco about him coming. He knew that the man definitely had some, if not most of the LAPD already in his pocket. Unfortunately for the Preco’s, Michael wouldn’t be so easily bought off. He identified himself as Detective Lavine to the voice coming from the speaker and the large gates opened automatically before him just moment after.

  He was surprised when an attractive and petite woman in her mid to early thirties answered the front door of the Preco’s massive estate. At least an estate was what Michael thought they called a home and property this large; he honestly didn’t think he had even been somewhere so fancy and upscale before. He had been expecting a butler or something of the sort to answer the door, but instead he was graced with the presence Mrs. Adrianne Preco. She warmly welcomed Michael in as if they were old friends, leading him into what he later found out was called a drawing room.

  Michael thought of his own humble home and of Linda, maybe if he had been able to buy her a house with a room specifically made for receiving guests, then she would have been happy, but he doubted it. The problems in their marriage could have been worked out, if Linda had really been willing to, if she hadn’t run off with some doofus who clipped bangs for a living that is. He may have been a crappy husband, but it was Linda who so freely and willingly broke their wedding vows. Michael shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. “Focus” he thought to himself, he knew he had to give all of his attention to the task at hand. He had the chance to interview a member of the main suspect’s family and it could prove to be a pivotal point in his investigation.

  Mrs. Preco sat poised and smiling on an expensive looking sofa across from him. He marveled at how beautiful she was, she had a classic look about her and an air of delicacy. He could easily tell the woman had never worked a hard day in her life, and as pretty as she was Michael couldn’t say he blamed her. Maria had been quite the looker as well, as he could tell from searching through her social media accounts and multiple photos. He had come to a dead end there as well, finding no conversations, comments or pictures with any other likely suspects, male or female. In fact, Maria hadn’t posted many pictures of herself with anyone at all other than her immediate family and even those were dated from a few years back. That was a fact that Michael found odd in itself, why such an attractive and seemingly bright and friendly young woman would live the life of such a loner. He wondered just how much Mr. Preco was paying her off to live in complete seclusion so willingly.

  Michael had also seen Mr. Preco up close and in person, from first appearances nothing about him would warrant the attraction of such fine and considerably younger women other than his wealth. While the media and his political career portrayed Mr. Preco as a go getter and a ruthless businessman, as well as a devout Christian and family man, Michael’s first meeting with him had given off the impression of a much more timid and less spectacular of a person. Even with all of his wealth and fame, Michael struggled to see what either woman really saw in him. He already had proven that his Christian values were a fraud when he had an affair on his wife and a child out of wedlock, Michael was willing to bet just about every other aspect the public saw of Mr. Preco was also a facade.

  When Michael asked of her husband’s whereabouts at the moment, Mrs. Preco glumly replied that he was off on business all day and often all night as per usual. Although it was now painfully obvious that the majority of Mr. Preco’s nighttime business had been carrying on an affair with Maria. “Please, call me Adrianne” she cooed, smiling sweetly at the detective. Michael tried his best to keep his cool, but he couldn’t deny that the seductive sound of her voice and the way that she looked at him made him a little more than warm under his collar.

  Michael decided to cut right to the chase, he was here to get the facts straight not get his dick wet so to speak. Still, the longer he spent with Adrianne, the more enthralled he became with her. She reminded him of one of those big screen movie vixens from the nineteen fifties. When he questioned her about her husband’s whereabouts the night that Maria was murdered, her response was just as vague as the first. She could not in fact provide Mr. Preco with an alibi for that night, which in Michael’s mind meant that he had struck gold.

  After spending all night long digging into Maria’s history and personal life, Michael had discovered that her last known employer was The Gap and that had been over a year ago. She had no known job or involvement in illegal activity, which left only one logical explanation for the woman’s swank apartment and seemingly luxurious lifestyle. It also confirmed that at the very least Mr. Preco had been telling the truth about the payoffs he made as hush money to Maria, which even for a billionaire was motive to kill. Surely if Maria had been blackmailing him, a man in Mr. Preco’s position would have to rid himself of such a problem immediately. It also made sense that Mr. Preco would have the key to his mistress’s apartment, which he paid for. So far, two pieces of the puzzle connected. No one, not even his own wife, could provide an alibi for the man on the night that his lover was viciously murdered, and Mr. Preco was most likely the only other person besides Maria with the key to her front door. Still Michael knew he couldn’t just rush into things; a man this wealthy would surely have the defense team sent straight from the gods if he ever saw his day in court and the investigation couldn’t have any holes.

  “Is there anyone else who can vouch for your husband that night, perhaps a maid, a driver, or even a friend of his?” Michael asked, hoping that the answer was no. He wasn’t sure why exactly he harbored such ill feelings towards a man he didn’t even know, but he was sure that his very public and hurtful infidelity had something to do with it. The feelings only got worse when he saw what a catch Mrs. Preco was, and it tied in with his lack of understanding as to why his own wife had abandoned and cheated on him. She paused for a moment, seeming as if she was seriously searching for an answer that could aid her husband, but just as Michael had suspected the answer was indeed no. “We do have some staff to assist around the house but Timothy insists that they only come during the daytime and when he is not home” Adrianne answered matter-of-factly. “My husband, or should I say soon to be ex-husband, is a rather private man, which is how I suppose he was able to carry on an affair for all of this time right under my nose” she added bitterly. She wore a wounded and betrayed look on her face that pulled at Michael’s heart strings and was all too familiar to him.

  What did pique Michael’s interest, other than the fact that she referred to Mr. Preco as her soon to be ex-husband so freely in front of a stranger, was that Adrianne mentioned recently employing a nanny as the only full time staff in the residence. From Michael’s investigating he had found that the Preco’s marriage was a childless one, so he wondered for whom she would need a nanny. Adrianne explained that her husband had the guts to bring home his love child for his dedicated and loyal wife to help him raise. As cruel and heartless it may have seemed on Timothy Preco’s behalf, Michael could understand why Adrianne had obliged. She had been humiliated and made a fool of by her husband and thanks to his notoriety it had been done in the public eye. He suspected that the woman was merely trying to save face and play the part of the martyr and saintly wife who had been unexpectedly burned by her monstrous husband. It was also possible that Mrs. Preco was simply a kind hearted and charitable woman, but in his experience on the force and with people in general, Michael doubted that was the case.

  Still, all Michael had to go on so far was circumstantial evidence, none of which would be likely to hold up in court. He needed to dig deeper and learn more about Timothy Preco’s deep dark secrets and who better to do so from than his scorned and bitter wife. He decided to take a different approach to his questioning, a tactic he often used to
coax the answers he really wanted from people. Those answers were usually far less obvious than his typical line of questioning, the type of detail and secrets that someone gave about themselves or someone they knew without even realizing their admission of guilt.

  Michael stood, thanking Adrianne for her helpfulness and hospitality. He extended his hand, holding out his card to her and she took it graciously. He thanked her again, playing the part of humble and acting as if she had done him some great service and social justice just by talking to him, and insisting that he’d see himself out. Before he exited the ridiculously named drawing room, Michael turned to Adrianne speaking in a soft and sympathetic tone. “I have to say I admire your strength Mrs. Preco, and I can understand what you’re going through.” The slight and slender woman suddenly jumped up from her seat with such ferocity that it surprised Michael slightly. She had appeared so ladylike and gentle the entire time he was speaking with her, now it seemed as if she were ready to pounce on Michael and tear out his throat.

  It wasn’t until he saw a single tear fall from Adrianne’s cheek that he understood her sudden passion vigor. “You have no idea what I am going through…” she began but Michael interrupted her, quickly diffusing the situation. “I didn’t mean to offend you Mrs. Preco, I only meant I know what it’s like to have the one you love the most betray you. I came home one day five months ago, to find out that my wife left me for her lover. She dropped our two year old son off with our neighbor and just took off. It was pretty hard to handle, I had no idea that she had been cheating on me for just about a year. So in a way Mrs. Preco, I do understand what you’re going through. If you need someone to speak to at all or if you can think of anything else that might be helpful, please feel free to call me day or night.”

  Michael said goodbye to Mrs. Preco who remained slack jawed and in shock for a few minutes longer than she probably should have. Michael also bet that Adrianne was the type of woman who was not accustomed to being put in her place. “Please, call me Adrianne” she called after him, just as Michael closed the front door behind him. Michael couldn’t stop from smiling to himself as he climbed behind the wheel of his car. Not only was he making leeway in his case, but Michael was ninety nine percent sure that Adrianne had been flirting with him throughout their entire meeting. Judging based off of the tone of her voice and the look on her face when she had called after him, it was a sure bet that she was the type of woman who also got her kicks from a strong man putting her back in her place.

  Chapter 5

  Michael drove off towards the precinct, he felt that he had enough progress to give a report that would satiate the Captain while omitting his little chat with the former Mrs. Preco. He had a feeling that Adrianne would do the same about their meeting when speaking to her husband, avoiding any angry phone calls to the Captain from the pissed off and influential politician. In the coming days Michael hoped Adrianne Preco would prove to be even more useful to him than being able to keep a secret.

  He returned home from work several hours later, tipping the neighbor an extra thirty dollars to keep Liam for another forty five minutes. Michael’s head was pounding and he needed to take a hot shower and pop some aspirin, which he washed down with a cold beer before he was ready to deal with his rambunctious and energetic son. The Captain had found a reason to lay into him despite his vigilant police work and exceptional track record for arrests and convictions. It seemed all his bosses cared about was making this case go away as quickly and quietly as possible. Michael had misjudged the Captain’s intentions when it came to the case however. It was not that his superiors did not agree that Mr. Preco was the most likely suspect, or that they didn’t want him brought to justice. It was that no one in the LAPD wanted to be the one responsible for bringing down one of the richest men in the county or deal with the repercussions that Mr. Preco could bring down upon them for doing so. It fit Michael’s luck as of late that he would be the one tasked with this case and he felt that he was damned if he did convict Mr. Preco and damned if he didn’t.

  Michael fed Liam a less than wholesome meal of Mac and Cheese with a side of chicken nuggets. He made a mental note to ask the neighbor how to cook at least one vegetable and while he was at it, Michael thought it was best to remember to ask the elderly woman her name, other than just referring to her as the neighbor. These were just a few thing on a list of many that Linda used to handle for him, and Michael thought sorely that he also had taken advantage of her for. He didn’t bother sleeping, instead Michael waited up like a dutiful father to tuck his young son back into bed from his ritualistic nightmares. He prayed that the boy’s habits would go away on its own and not warrant a lifetime of therapy thanks to his parent’s messy divorce.

  Liam woke up around the same time he did every night like clockwork and just so, Michael tucked him back into bed. Tonight he found himself to be a little bit more than tipsy as he had continued drinking after Liam had first gone to bed. He was a six pack deep by the time the boy had woken up and tapped him on the shoulder, asking for his mother once again. Michael passed out cold in the midst of gently stroking Liam’s hair, sitting on the floor with his head propped up against the toddler bed.

  He awoke groggily to the sound of his work cell going off. It was something that Michael was used to hearing go off at all hours and even in his deadest of sleep, it always woke him up and made him feel alert. If he really thought about it, the sound of his cell phone ringing was a depressing thing, signifying another homicide case and another life lost, but somewhere in Michael’s mind it translated to something different. To Michael it was another chance to prove his worth, although with his father and Linda both gone now, Michael was no longer sure who he was proving it to.

  Michael stood quickly and rushed into the hallway to answer the call, instantly regretting the move. He tried to hold his hand to his forehead in an attempt to keep the world from spinning so quickly while he checked the number on his cell. He didn’t recognize the caller, but no one had this number other than those who really needed it so he picked it up quickly anyway. It only took a few seconds for Michael to realize that it was Adrianne Preco, she was crying hysterically and seemed very distraught. She offered no explanation to Michael and only told him that she needed to meet with him right away.

  “Uh sure, we can meet anytime and anywhere you want. How does twelve in the afternoon tomorrow sound?” Michael slurred into the phone, while attempting to stumble his way down the hall and into the kitchen for a glass of water. Adrianne became even more hysterical, forcing Michael to sober himself up a little and at least try to act like a cop. “Are you ok Mrs. Preco?” he asked, still unable to hide that he was slurring his speech. “No, I need to meet you tonight. Right now” Adrianne insisted urgently and Michael felt like he had no other choice but to agree, afraid that her life might be in danger. The sound of fear in Adrianne’s voice has sobered Michael up even more. He quickly splashed water on his face, doused himself with cologne and threw on a clean t-shirt before rushing next door.

  Michael knocked loudly at the old woman’s door, surprised to find that she was already awake and watching The Antique Show reruns on a very outdated television. He offered the woman one hundred dollars to spend the night over at his house to look after Liam, explaining that he had gotten an emergency call from work. The old woman looked reluctant, hesitating to say yes. Michael struck a deal with her by offering her another fifty dollars and carrying Liam to her house instead, careful not to wake him up. Michael climbed into his car, cursing under his breath. For someone as old as dirt, she sure still knew how to hustle him out of his money. Michael felt a little better at least when he remembered to ask the old bag her name, it was Mrs. Arthur.

  Michael drove cautiously but as quickly as he could, dialing Adrianne on speaker phone as he sped off. He told her of a safe place for them to meet where no one would think to look for her. It was a fast food joint that he had frequented often for lonely dinners by himself while on shift. It was such
a low class place that Michael felt assured no one would recognize the semi-famous billionaire’s wife or a half cocked off duty police officer. He liked the joint because everyone minded their own business. Michael didn’t got there so often for the less than appetizing menu items, he liked it there because between the chaos of work and home, it was the one and only place he could find some peace and quiet. Besides, any onlookers would probably just assume that they were two people out on a cheap date. “I could only be so lucky to land a date with a woman like Adrianne”, Michael thought to himself as he made his way to their meeting spot.

  Chapter 6

  Adrianne pulled into the parking lot of Michael’s favorite dive, where he was standing outside anxiously awaiting her arrival. He hadn’t even bothered to ask why she needed to meet him, but something about her call had compelled him to come running. Maybe it was the whole damsel in distress scenario that had made him want to come to her rescue in the middle of the night.

  She stepped out of her cherry red Ferrari and it was Michael’s turn for his jaw to drop. He didn’t know what was more of a turn on, the car she was driving or the stunning woman in a little black dress that the car belonged to. Michael tried his best to maintain his composure but found it difficult as Adrianne approached him wearing Jaclyn Kennedy style sunglasses in the dead of the night. He had to try even harder to stifle a laugh, the woman was terrible at being sneaky and inconspicuous but in the end he supposed that was a good thing. Michael advised her to lose the shades, his heart softening when she did so only to reveal tear stained eyes.

  He ushered her inside, motioning to the solitary waitress to bring over some cups of coffee for them both. She lifted her coffee cup to her lips with her hands shaking terribly and Michael patiently waited for her to tell him what was up. In his experience he had learned when not to push people, especially when they seemed to be so close to their breaking point. Prodding a distraught informant or suspect could be seen as coercion in a court of law and while Michael had shown up to help Adrianne in any way he could, his work and the investigation always came first. Although he wasn’t sure how meeting with a suspects wife, unbeknownst by his superiors, while he was intoxicated at a food joint in the middle of the night would exactly go down in the books. In the back of Michael’s mind while he knew he had to and wanted to solve this murder case, he also knew that he didn’t really care to all at the same time. In his still almost drunken state, Michael found himself thinking that it might even be for the best if he did get canned from his job.