He smiles softly and then reaches inside his jacket.
“Oh, I nearly forgot. There’s a letter I had to give you.”
He holds out an envelope and I look at him in surprise. “For me?”
He shrugs. “Well it’s not for me that’s for sure.”
He moves toward a door at the end of the cabin. “I’ll just take a leak before I go.”
He heads through it leaving me holding the thin envelope. The curiosity burns inside as I remove the thin white paper and start to read.
Sydney
If you’re reading this I pray you’re safe. I’m sorry but I had to leave Little Ridge in rather a hurry as it happened but I can’t go into details—it would need its own book to tell you everything. I just wanted you to know that I’m safe and happy and that you don’t have to worry anymore. Your business is safe, and I have put a sign on the door saying you’re closed for a couple of weeks.
The studio lease has been signed over to you for a minimal rent for the next 100 years. Like I said, there is a lot to explain. I just wanted to tell you that I love you like a sister and will explain everything when I see you. Thank Tyler for everything. He set me up with protection while you were away and I owe him everything. He’s a good man, Syd and if you let yourself trust just one person in your life, let it be him. You looked good together and now you’re husband and wife I just hope it’s in every sense of the word.
Anyway, I’m rambling on and must hurry. My postman is leaving shortly and is impatient for this delivery. Stay strong and I can’t wait to hear all about it when we meet up.
Love you babe
Lucy xx
The words swim before my eyes as I almost hear her voicing them. Lucy is my best friend and the only family I have ever had. Whatever happened back at Little Ridge must have been bad. For her to take off like that after agreeing to look after my business must be serious. I wonder where she is and with whom?
Snake comes back and grabs his keys from the side.
“I’ll be off. Enjoy your stay here, Sydney. Don’t worry, nobody ever comes here. They know not to. If anyone does it sets off a signal to our compound and we can alert the local biker club to it. You’ll be perfectly safe so don’t let it worry you.”
I look at him in surprise. “Who the hell are you guys?”
He grins wickedly. “Most people’s worst nightmares but if you’re family—well, we look after our own.”
He turns to leave and as he reaches the door, I say in a loud voice. “Wait. If you don’t mind, Snake, can you give a ride somewhere?”
He turns and smiles. “Sure I can, darlin’. Anything for you.”
31
Tyler
I never knew this victory would feel so hollow. Left alone in my apartment with only my own thoughts there is only one on my mind. Sydney.
I knew it was a gamble. It was never meant to be anything other than a business arrangement. Her share of the company for a lifetime of wealth and no worries. The trouble is, when I married her it was real. I meant what I said, and I wanted to build a life together. Yet still, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the truth. If she took off Ashton would still be running and those vile men could carry on manipulating and ruling our lives. I just couldn’t take that chance.
Now I feel as if I have lost everything even though I have everything I ever wanted. Ashton is free and happy and I have control over the oil company that has brought us such grief. Marshall is under arrest and my father was escorted from the building by security.
I returned to the office to take control while everything sorts itself out. What should have been my triumph has turned into my failure and I wish with all my heart Sydney was with me now.
I briefed the staff to carry on business as usual while we waited for news from the cops. Marshall will be detained downtown and Ryder has made sure no bail will be offered. Ryder has powerful friends and always gets what he wants. There is no way in hell Marshall Emmerson will ever be free again.
The day turns to evening and the workers leave for the night. Just me and the night time security remain and the place feels empty and hollow - like my heart. I can’t go home because she’s not there. I wanted this company so badly I sacrificed everything to get it. Now I will have to live with my decision and myself.
I just stare out at the city that illuminates the darkened sky and wonder where Sydney is. What is she thinking and what will she do now?
A discreet cough indicates I am not alone and as I quickly turn my world stands still. Sydney.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing and blink and then stare again. I move toward her and she holds up her hand and says in a hard voice, “Stop right there.”
I stop dead in my tracks and look at her with desperation. She moves to the opposite side of the desk and points to my chair. “Sit.”
Like a puppy I do as she says and just stare at her in complete and utter surprise. My heart starts beating wildly as my body aches to pull her to me and convince her to stay. From the look in her eyes she is here for answers and not a loving reunion.
Her expression is hard and I see the pain inside reflected in her eyes. She says in a low voice, “I want to know what happened to my mother.”
She sits forward playing with her fingers and it takes every ounce of willpower not to push this desk aside and reach for her. Instead, I nod and start talking—giving her the answers she needs.
“As I understand it, when your father died it brought your mother out of the woodwork.”
She winces and I immediately regret my choice of words. She shivers and says quietly, “It’s ok, Tyler, you don’t need to sugar coat anything, just say it how it is.”
I nod and think about what I know.
“She told him that she would challenge him for the company and prove to the world he had a sister. She was going to cause a scandal Texas would be talking about for decades. At first, he went along with her plans. He made her think he would do the right thing and even promised to hire a detective to find you himself.”
She looks up in surprise. “She didn’t know where I was?”
I shrug. “Apparently not. All the time he was telling her one thing, he was planning another. He arranged to meet her one night to discuss the handing over of a large part of the company. That was the night she was killed—a victim of a hit-and-run driver who was never found.”
Sydney just sits listening, looking as pale as a ghost. Her eyes shine with unshed tears and my heart breaks for her. She whispers, “How do you know it was Marshall?”
“Ryder King. What you don’t know about him—any of them, is they are not your average MC club. They walk in the shadow of the White House and if you thought the politicians run this country, think again. They deal in the shit that’s stirred up when the government fucks up. Most of them are ex-military and many, Ryder included, are ex-Navy Seals. They bring about rough justice and keep trouble away from the Oval Office.”
She looks shocked and I shrug. “Hard to believe but true just the same. They went after a hitman one night who knew too much. He had overstepped the mark and some powerful politician wanted him dealt with. As it turned out he had more secrets to share and used them to bargain for his life. One of those secrets was your daddy’s will and Marshall’s contract on your mother. He had proof that Marshall hired him to kill Isabel Lawrence and silence her for good. As the pack of cards began to fall Ryder discovered about you. Coincidentally, it was the same time that I called him for a favor. I needed him to care for my sister. Offer her a safe place to stay until the shit died down after the infamous party where I sold her to a bunch of low life politicians.”
Sydney shivers and I shake my head. “She begged me to arrange it so she could get enough money to escape Marshall and my father. They had connections, and she needed some powerful ones of her own. I did everything I could to talk her out of it but she was adamant. I promised her every dime I earned to help her but she wouldn’t hear of it. So, against every bon
e in my body that was screaming at me not to, I sold her like cattle at an auction. Things didn’t go well, and the men wanted her gone, disposed of like a broken toy. I went to the only man I knew they couldn’t touch. He had made it known he was looking for a nanny for his daughter and I saw the perfect solution. However, as soon as we set foot inside the place the game changed. He told me he would only guarantee her safety if she was his wife.”
Sydney gasps and looks shocked and I smile bitterly. “I wanted to grab her and run. She was so frightened and I couldn’t bear the thought of it. Then he told me about you and your mom. He showed me a way to get my revenge and bring on the men who had caused so many people to suffer. In return for my sister, he would secure the shares I needed to gain a majority and tell me your whereabouts so I could drive this revenge home.”
I put my head in my hands and say in a broken voice. “It was too big an opportunity to turn down. He vowed to keep Ashton safe and when I returned, if she wanted to leave with me, she could. She wasn’t his prisoner and it would be entirely up to her. Her destiny was in my hands and I couldn’t let her down.”
Then I raise my eyes to hers and say with sincerity, “When I tracked you down it didn’t matter who you were, only what you were. The Billion Dollar baby that your father tried to hide. You were the key to my success, and I told myself all that mattered was my sister and our revenge. Then I met you, Sydney, and I wasn’t so sure anymore. This fight became our fight. The three of us together to revenge our past. I wanted to marry you for a different reason now and that was for all the right ones. I wanted to love and protect you and meant every word I said in that chapel. I tried to tell you so many times but couldn’t risk you walking away. If it was just about me, it wouldn’t have mattered. The trouble is, I couldn’t let my sister down.”
Sydney stands and turns her back to me. My heart lurches as I fear she will leave now she has what she came for. The truth.
The silence hits me hard and I hear the time passing clicking loudly in my mind. Then she turns and the look on her face stops me in my tracks. It’s all there in that one look. The grief for a childhood wasted. The need for a loving home with parents who loved her and the devastation at discovering her beginnings. Then there is the hurt and betrayal directed at the one person she placed her trust in. However, it’s the need and yearning in her eyes that makes my heart beat so fast I can hear it. Her lip trembles and her eyes fill with tears as she says, “Thank you, Tyler.”
For the second time today, the person I love most in the world thanks me. I say almost with desperation, “For what, Sydney?”
She starts to walk toward me and the universe pauses. She smiles shakily. “For finding me, for helping me and for finally being honest with me. But most of all I want to thank you for marrying me and showing me that good does exist. Not all men are vile creatures who use women to get ahead.”
I go to speak and she raises her hand again and laughs softly. “Ironic isn’t it? That I’m saying this to the man who sells women for a living. But I’ve come to realize you don’t do it without considering them first. The women who come to you are willing and determined to claw a better way through life. You’re not a bad man, Tyler. I can tell you don’t have it in you. We may be surrounded by such men but you, Ryder and Snake stand tall among them. What girl wouldn’t fall in love with a man like that?”
She reaches me and smiles so sweetly I forget to breathe. She whispers, “I can’t let such a man go. Whatever the reasons we met, it’s the future that matters now. I want you to be my present and future, Tyler and we will face it as a team.”
Before the last word escapes her lips, mine are claiming hers with a hunger I can’t ignore. She kisses me back with a passion that wasn’t there before. I feel my love for her raging out of control and yet pull back and say huskily, “Are you sure this is what you want?”
She whispers, “What do you want, a written invitation?” Then she winks and giggles which sets my heart on fire and I don’t hold back. I can’t hold back and with a groan, I lift her into my arms and kiss her hard and fast. She reaches up and pushes my clothes from my back like the inconvenience they are. I push her back onto my desk and bunch her skirt around her waist, ripping her panties in my haste to dispose of them. My hands pull the shirt from her back and she gasps as she arches her body to mine. Then I kiss every delightful inch of the woman I love who is now mine forever. She fists my hair and gasps as I find her sweetest place and groans, “I love you, Tyler. Please don’t stop what you’re doing to answer me.”
I laugh against her sex and carry on pleasuring the woman I love like the beast that I am. I feel her desire coating her thighs and covering my tongue like the finest cuisine. She shudders against it and the heat explodes inside me. My cock throbs with an urgency to plunge her sweetest place and as I reach for my jacket she says softly, “No protection, Tyler. I want all of you.”
I pull back and look her in the eye. “Are you sure, baby?”
She nods shyly. “I want to give you every part of me and I want to feel every part of you. If we make another life out of our love, then it will be a little miracle. It’s not about money or control, it’s about love. That is what I want, Tyler. I want you to love me.”
I run my hand behind her head and kiss her mouth hard and fast and then I worship this goddess in my arms like I’ve wanted to do ever since I met her. As I enter her body, mind and soul, I whisper, “I love you, Sydney Donahue.”
Her gasp of pleasure is all the answer I need. This begins now.
32
Sydney
It’s been only three weeks and yet it feels like three days. Such a lot has happened and all of it good. I moved into Tyler’s apartment and we continued our honeymoon there. There’s not a day goes by that I don’t thank the gods for sending him to me. He is everything, and I never knew I could be so happy.
Today will be difficult, though, because there is one piece of unfinished business that can’t be ignored any longer. Today we are visiting his father for the last time.
Tyler is quiet beside me as we drive to his childhood home. He’s been putting off this moment, but it needs to be done. Ever since that fateful day when Marshall was arrested, Chuck Mortimer has hidden away in his mansion. He no longer had a job and no family and as word got out, his friends deserted him in droves. All that’s left is for Tyler to get some form of closure.
Ashton made it clear she saw him for the last time in that office. She will not meet him again and has moved on with her life. Tyler needs to lay this ghost to rest and I am right beside him.
We drive toward an impressive house set in acres of grounds that are obviously well cared for. I look with interest at the home Tyler and Ashton shared all their lives and feel sad that the beauty on the outside masks the ugliness of the man inside.
Tyler is nervous, I can tell and I squeeze his hand reassuringly. “It’s fine, Tyler. He can’t hurt you anymore. This is your closure, remember that.”
He smiles softly. “I know. I just need to get through this meeting and then I’ll be free of him. It’s just being here in this familiar place where the ghosts haunt me. It’s bringing back a lot of unpleasant memories from my past and they are hard to deal with.”
He gestures to a building behind the main house. “Take the pool house for instance. He used to take me there to beat me when I upset him.”
He shakes his head sadly. “He didn’t want the hired help to hear my screams.”
My heart beats faster as I think about what he went through. He says in a low voice. “He used to tie my wrists to my ankles and strip me naked. Then he would paddle my ass until I collapsed. All the time he used to shout how worthless I was and how I had driven my mom to drugs. He would leave me there tied up all night wallowing in my own urine and tears. The next day he would untie me and throw me in the pool to clean me up and hold me under to cleanse the devil from my soul.”
The tears spill from my eyes as my heart breaks. I never knew jus
t how cruel his father really was.
As we reach the front of the house, I hear his breathing change. His ghosts are all around him and it’s as if he’s a boy again. His voice breaks as he remembers more.
“My room was next to his. He used to bring women home, and I heard their screams as he subjected them to god only knows what. When I was old enough, he brought me into his room one night to watch. Then he shouted at me to fuck the woman like a man and laughed because I couldn’t. He humiliated me in front of her and she joined in. He goaded me and told me I was a disappointment and would be to any woman unlucky enough to find me in her bed. Then he made me watch how a real man pleases a woman until I was sick.”
Tyler turns to me and I gasp at the torture in his eyes. “When Marshall came calling that day I watched as they called my sister to his office. Their deal had been in place long before but this was the first we heard of it. I was made to stand by the door and listen. Marshall made Ashton sit on his lap and I watched as he rubbed his hand over her back. He didn’t stop there, and it made me sick to watch it go lower and lower. My father told her she was to keep herself for Marshall and they would be married when she was 21. He made her wear a promise ring and told her if she ever went with another man he would destroy us. I was made to promise to look out for her and beat off any other guys. We were both shaking so much but they just laughed and toasted the union with a bottle of whiskey. Ashton was frightened and could only have been about 9 years old at the time. It was disgusting, Sydney. They were disgusting and we were too frightened to do anything about it.”
I pull him toward me and stroke away his memories, kissing him softly on the cheek and whisper, “Let go of your past, Tyler. You have made it through. One final meeting and then you’ll never have to see him again.”
The Billion Dollar Baby_A Billionaire Romance Page 15
