Wicked Paradise: An Alpha Billionaire Romance

by Tia Lewis

  “Dustin, there’s someone—”

  “Wait, hold on, there’s one more thing I need to say. I never really regretted what I did until I met you. You’ve made me realize there is still good in the world. There are still people full of honor and respect. I really have fallen for you.”

  “Dustin!”

  “What?”

  “The car that was following us before just pulled up behind us,” I said, pointing to the black car behind the limo.

  Dustin’s eyes widened. “Drive!” Dustin yelled to the driver.

  I saw the driver’s eyes peer into the rear-view mirror before slamming his foot on the gas. I fell back against the seat, Dustin held onto me as we sped down the road. He grabbed my seat belt on strapped it across my body. I looked out the back window to see the car speeding after us. We turned onto the highway, bypassing a red light. The driver must have been going over 90 MPH as we hurdled pass other cars on the road. I kept my eyes fixed behind us, watching the black car skipping lanes to keep up with us. As the car inched closer to our bumper, I was able to see the main behind the wheel. Realization made me gasp, as the man behind the wheel was the same man that handed me the red card outside of the club.

  We took a last minute turn off the next exit, flying down the ramp onto a back road. The driver flew down the road, taking a few quick turns causing the wheels to screech with each jerk. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I held onto the leather seats, feeling my hands start to shake. I felt like I was going to throw up. I looked over at Dustin, he was staring out the back window too, watching the car keep up with us at every turn.

  “Take the next right!” Dustin yelled to the driver, holding onto the ceiling to keep his body from moving as we rounded a sharp turn.

  As we took the turn, I saw a train in the distance. The gates began to lower, and yellow lights started to flash as the train started to approach the crossing. I heard the engine roar as the limo driver sped up. I suddenly realized he was going to try to cut in front of the train.

  “Dustin!” I yelled in fear. I looked behind us to see the black car tailing the limo. I looked forward again to see the driver speeding toward the closed gate. “Dustin!”

  I heard the words leave my mouth right before I heard the crashing sound of the limo hitting the gates. I felt like we were in slow motion as our limo quickly flew over the tracks right before the train was about to hit us. I closed my eyes, clenching my teeth together as I felt the tires pass over the tracks. I finally opened my eyes to see we had made it across alive. As I turned back, I saw the black car wasn’t able to follow us. His view of our limo was blocked by the train. The driver took a few turns before slowly pulling down a winding dirt road that was hidden by canopy trees and bushes. He finally pulled off behind a rock fixture, turning the engine off.

  As soon as the car stopped, I got out of the car, slamming the door behind me. Dustin got out and followed after me. He tried to reach out toward me, but I pushed him away.

  “What the fuck!!! What the fuck Dustin! Are you fucking kidding me!?”

  “Calm down, I know.”

  “I can’t fucking believe that. Who was that?! Who is following us?! He’s the same man that gave me a red card outside of the club!” I screamed. I was belligerent. I was finally snapping, all of the pressure had built up to this point.

  “What man are you talking about?”

  “That man approached me outside of the club when I was waiting for you on the bench and handed me a red card with a ‘J’ on it.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about it before now?”

  “I don’t know. I was distracted by the woman you walked away with! Who was that man, Dustin? Stop trying to change the subject!”

  “I think that might be someone Jacque sent to follow me, but I am not sure. I think he just wants to keep track of where we are. Apparently, leaving the colored cards wasn’t enough of a reminder that he is watching anymore,” Dustin said, running his hands through his hair.

  I brought my hand back and slapped Dustin hard in the face. “I can’t fucking believe you, the nerve! You have been dragging me along behind you this entire time. You didn’t tell me about the cards when I asked! I have been begging for you to be honest with me, it is in your best interest, to be honest with me. But still, you lied to me, withheld information, and made me think you are a completely upfront, ethical person so much that I actually slept with you! I gave you my virginity! I actually started to fall in love with you but this… this is unforgivable. I can’t believe all along you were directly involved in the money laundering, you didn’t even try to hide the deposits. You’ve made my job so much more difficult than it had to be the last few weeks and you could’ve potentially ruined your own future, as well as mine!”

  “Bianca, don’t say that. I’m—”

  “No, don’t fucking touch me, Dustin. I’m done. I can’t do this anymore. I will try to protect what little credibility you have but everything there was between us is completely over. I am a member of your law firm, you are my client, and once the trial is over, we will never speak again. I promise you that. You have risked my life, my pride, and my career. I have nothing else, I want nothing else. Take me to my hotel.”

  “We need to talk about—”

  “Take me now!” I yelled. I got back into the limo without a second glance.

  I had never been so angry before. I was still shaking from the adrenalin and could feel my heart pounding hard in my chest. I didn’t want to look at Dustin, I didn’t even want to be around him. At that moment, I hated him so much. I felt like he had deceived me for so long for absolutely no reason. I was just trying to help him, but he dragged me along, fucking me as if I was just some other tourist that wanted to suck his dick.

  I wanted to get away from him, I wanted to get away from Brazil. I wanted to be done with the case, I never wanted to think about it again. I hate that I got so wrapped up in his life and all of the lies he fed me. I regretted sleeping with him but, more than anything else, I regretted getting my feelings involved.

  We sat in silence the entire ride back to the hotel. When we arrived, I heard Dustin try to say something, but I closed the door behind me in his face. I didn’t want to waste any more energy and didn’t care what he had to say. I went to my room, packed my bags, and purchased a plane ticket to JFK for the next morning.

  When I woke up the next morning, I thought I would feel a wave of disappointment hit me all over again. Instead, I felt nothing. I wasn’t sad or happy, I just felt empty. I took a taxi to the airport. I wished I could’ve had better memories of Brazil. I wished it was still the bright, shiny, new, and exciting place it was when I first arrived. I remembered how excited I was to be able to go to Brazil for work. I never thought it would turn into such a nightmare.

  I checked a bag and got my boarding ticket at the gate. Right before I went to security, I saw Dustin with his driver standing by the wall, carefully scanning every face that passed by. His driver saw me first, quickly pointing toward me when we made eye contact. Dustin started to walk over with a smile on his face. But once he saw my glower, his face dropped.

  “I’ve been here all morning. I called the hotel, they said you had checked out. I figured you were going to want to leave as quickly as possible. I know yesterday had to be really shocking. I’m truly sorry for everything—”

  “Do us a favor and save both of our time. I’ve had enough of this. I don’t want to hear what you have to say. I don’t want to hear anything else from you. I regret sleeping with you. I regret ever attempting to have a connection outside of a business relationship. I should have been professional the entire time, especially to avoid a situation like… this,” I looked over at the security line getting longer. I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and looked at the longing in Dustin’s eyes.

  “Please, there must be something I can do. Please forgive me for what I have done,” Dustin begged.

  “Goodbye, Dustin. I’ll email you in a few da
ys after I have finished reviewing your case with the new information you have provided me. Don’t try to call me,” I said sternly.

  I turned away without another word. I walked quickly toward security. I thought I would feel a hand on my shoulder or maybe he would call after me, I almost wanted him to a little, but he didn’t. I didn’t even turn around to see if he was watching me walk away. It was over, and there was no turning back.

  Bianca

  I had only been in New York City for twenty-four hours, but I had already felt removed from my entire experience in Brazil. It didn’t feel like it was even real. I figured the more time that passed by, the less I would think about Brazil or the pain Dustin put me through. I was ready to get back to my life, moving my career forward, and the comfort of my home.

  Even though it felt good to be back in a familiar place, it felt awfully boring too. Although I never really wanted to go to any of the extravagant parties Dustin took me to, I actually felt like I was going to miss them. Every second of Brazil was exciting, there was always something to do. Now I felt like I was going back to a life of monotony and predictable choices.

  I spent the day getting back into the swing of things. I picked my cat up from my parents’ house. We went to dinner, I told them about Brazil and showed them pictures of my trip.

  “Well, you sure did a lot of traveling for a work trip, huh Bianca?” My Dad joked.

  “Yeah, I guess I did. I did my fair share of working, but it was nice to look around too,” I smiled and shrugged.

  “Well did you meet any attractive young men while you were down there? I’ve heard Brazilians are quite the catch,” my Mom winked at me and waited. She was always surprised that I managed to stay single. I insisted it was easier than she thought.

  “Eh, not really. I was really focused on the case,” I lied through my teeth.

  “Sure, you’re just saying that because your father is here.”

  My mind flashed back to the crazy, amazing sex I had with Dustin. I thought about when he fucked me, how I was gripping onto his skin as I clenched my teeth. I thought about all of the sex parties he took me to and when we watched the couple fuck in the limo. There were so many stories that I would probably never retell in my life. I wondered what my parents would say if they knew half of it.

  “No, really. I’m not interested in meeting new people right now. I want to stay focused on my work and completing this case for now. What have you two been up to?”

  I quickly changed the subject, I didn’t want to think about Dustin any more than I had to. I didn’t want my parents to ever know I had jeopardized my job. They knew how hard I worked to get my position at the law firm, they would be furious if they knew I had risked my career for one man that just ended up hurting me. We spent the rest of the night drinking wine and telling each other stories.

  When I got home, I looked around my apartment. It wasn’t as quiet as my hotel in Brazil. I could hear sirens in the distance and cars honking outside of my window. The constant sounds of the city were easy to ignore before, but now I felt like it was overwhelming. I wondered how long it would take me to get used to it again. I looked over at my computer. I had been anticipating the next time I would talk to Dustin. I wondered how it would go and if he would try to explain himself all over again. I really didn’t want to hear any more about it, but I knew I would have to at least ask him a few more questions in order to prepare for the case. I knew I needed to message him about his new court date, but I had been stalling. I sat down at my desk to type an email to him.

  Dear Mr. Baldwin,

  On behalf of Minhaj Law Firm, I would like to confirm your official court date on May 3, 2017, at 2:00PM. Please arrive an hour in advance in order to fill out the proper paperwork. If you have any questions about the trial, please contact my office directly. The court date won’t be moved back, regardless of prior concerns.

  Best.

  I sent the email to Dustin. I felt a little frigid writing the email, but I knew this is what had to be done. Dustin could no longer be a part of my life. He was only a client to me, and that is where our story would end.

  The next morning, I went to work in my normal black pencil skirt and white button down top. I pulled my hair back and admired my bronze tan before leaving home. My colleagues and boss welcomed me back. They congratulated me on my progress. It was hard to take the compliment knowing that Dustin’s case was pretty much doomed. I didn’t want to share my new information with the rest of my firm. It was almost embarrassing to admit at this point.

  The more the day progressed, the more I felt guilty about my choices. I couldn’t stop thinking about Dustin, the parties, the sex, the way he said my name. I couldn't get my head out of the clouds all day. I considered dropping the case, but I knew it wasn’t a realistic option. My boss had never trusted me with such a large case before. There was no way I could turn it down, he might never offer me a chance like that again. It wasn’t worth the risk.

  When the work day was finally over, I felt completely exhausted and drained. I forgot what it was like to be at an office for nine hours. I headed straight home without even stopping for dinner. All I wanted to do was take my office clothes off and have a glass of wine. When I got home, I noticed a red envelope sitting on my doorstep. It had my name written on the front in gold ink.

  I picked it up, examining both sides of it before slipping my finger across the top to open it. Inside was a black card with a blank front. I opened the card to see three words.

  I love you

  I didn’t recognize the handwriting. I knew it couldn’t be from Dustin, he didn’t know where I lived. I wondered where it could’ve possibly come from. As I unlocked my door, I heard someone around the corner. I turned around to see Dustin standing right there in front of me. I was so shocked I almost dropped my keys.

  “What… What are you doing here?” I stuttered, realizing the card in my hand was from him. My eyes widened as he walked toward me and pulled flowers out from behind his back. “How did you find me?”

  “You aren’t that hard to find. These are for you,” Dustin said, holding the bouquet of white roses out in front of me. “White is a symbol of innocence and purity. I think of all the people I have met, you are the purest of them all.”

  “Okay, come in.”

  I didn’t take the flowers from him. I unlocked my door and walked inside without turning around. He followed me in. I got a vase out of the cabinet, filled it up with water, and set it on the table.

  “I hope you’re not disappointed that you wasted your time,” I said coldly.

  Dustin put the flowers into the vase and raised an eyebrow. “Wasted my time? What do you mean?”

  “You came all this way for nothing. I have no idea what you could possibly be thinking. You just thought you could come all the way to New York to give me flowers and a card? You thought that would just change my mind? Did you think I forgot about how you completely lied to me and made me think you were a different person than you are? Roses aren’t going to cover up how much you disrespected me, Dustin. And you had the audacity to say you love me. You don’t fucking love me, Dustin. The only thing you care about is your money and yourself. If you actually loved me, you wouldn’t have misled me for the last few weeks for your own self-interest. You’re not welcome here, you should leave,” I gestured toward the door.

  “Wait, Bianca. Please, just give me a chance to explain myself. I am so sorry for what I did to you. I was wrong. I didn’t know what I was doing, I was worried about my future. I just panicked and didn’t want to say the wrong thing. I didn’t realize how important you would be to my life. Now I can realize my fault. It’s difficult for me to put into words how I feel toward you. I want to start again. I want to prove that I am not the man I used to be. I am not the type of person to make unethical decisions or cheat people out of what they deserve. You were only out of Brazil for twelve hours before I realized I couldn’t bear being alone in the same bed we had slept in. That ni
ght was the first time I ever laid in bed with a woman, enjoying conversation and companionship instead of sex and desire. I felt like we really connected, I felt like we really saw who the other person was. I know you’re not the type of woman to mislead someone you care about and that’s why it hurts so much that I did that to you. I am so sorry. If you give me a chance, I promise I will never cause you pain again,” Dustin pleaded.

  With each word, I could feel the weight tugging at my heart. I felt tears start to pile up in my eyes before they streamed down my cheeks. Dustin had never seen me all out cry before. I never wanted him to know how much I had started to care about him, that I had fallen for him the way he had fallen for me. I didn’t want to forgive him or let go of what he did to me. I felt like if I forgave him I was telling him it was okay. I didn’t know if I could trust him or believe what he was telling me. All I felt was pain and emptiness. But at the same time, being next to Dustin was bringing back all of the raw feelings I had for him. I never thought I would see him again. Now that he was here, in my kitchen, saying that he loves me and wants another chance, I didn’t know what to say. I could feel myself being drawn to him, but I was resisting. I didn’t know if he deserved another chance. My heart and my head were at war. And I also had a confession to give.