Saving Hope: A Billionaire Secret Baby Romance

by Lucy Wild

  “Taken care of? What do you mean taken care of?”

  “I’ve got someone dealing with the problem, let’s just leave it at that.”

  I froze, feeling terror rising in the pit of my stomach, threatening to overwhelm me. “Call him back.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “Whoever you’ve sent after them, call him back.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s too dangerous.”

  “Don’t worry, Hope. He knows what he’s doing.”

  I couldn’t believe he was running around spying behind my back. “I told you I’d tell you what happened when I was ready and now I find out you’re digging up all my secrets. I thought you trusted me, Rob.”

  “I do but I want you to be safe. I need to know what’s going on.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want you to stay in my life, all right?”

  “But why? I’m not clever, I’m not rich, I don’t fit into your world.”

  “You think that matters to me?” he said, getting to his feet and crossing to the window. He stopped to look out for a moment before turning back. “I don’t care about how rich you are, I don’t care what happened in your past. I care about you. I like the person you are, Hope, not the person you were. You’re funny, you’re clever, you’re good company and you’ve got an incredible body.”

  “Well, I’m glad you said that part last.”

  “I know, you’d hate to think I was a shallow guy.”

  “Oh no, I know you’re a shallow guy.”

  “Ouch. Look, you’re trying to protect yourself and me from getting hurt by those two but it’s okay, I’m an adult, I can handle myself. You’re an adult too and I’m not going to force you to stay here so I’m only going to say this once. I would like you to stay here. I would like to look after you and I hope you want to stay. As to what else is happening in the world, we’ll deal with it when it happens. What do you say?”

  “I say that I don’t understand why you’re doing this but I get that you want to do it so yes, I’ll stay.”

  The conversation hadn’t gone the way I’d planned. But then, had I really wanted it to? I didn’t really want to leave, I’d just assumed he wanted me gone, that he was being too polite to say so. And that he would end up hurt because of me.

  He was so confident too. He acted certain that his guy would be fine, tracing the two who’d been after me. Maybe he would be fine. It was possible. But I knew who he was after. I knew just how dangerous they were.

  We hugged by the window, ending up staring outside at the lawn together. I felt exhausted, drained by the conversation we’d just had. “Was that our first fight?” Rob asked, turning to look at me.

  “I didn’t like it,” I replied.

  “Me neither. Let’s not do that again.”

  “Just don’t do things behind my back.”

  “Deal.”

  “So who is he? Your guy?”

  “Harry Foster. He’s an ex-cop.”

  “And what have you asked him to do?”

  “Track down the two men chasing after you. Find out who they are.”

  “And nothing else?”

  “Nothing else.”

  “Why not wait until I was ready to talk?”

  “Because you might be in danger and it’s my job to keep you safe.”

  “Your job?”

  He nodded, turning to kiss me. “My job.”

  ROB

  I TRIED TO RING Harry that evening but he didn’t answer. I gave it ten minutes before trying again. I wasn’t worried at that point, leaving him a message asking him to call me back with any news.

  When he still hadn’t rung an hour later, I tried texting him but there was still no answer.

  I thought about what he might be up to, whether to keep trying or leave him to it. I flicked to the local news page, feeling a growing sense of dread.

  It was the top story, surrounded by complaints about the hairdresser changing its name and some kids who’d been pulling up flowers by the river. The body of a male in his fifties had been found in a guesthouse bedroom, suicide by hanging was the rumoured cause of death.

  It was Harry. It had to be Harry. I was still reading the article when a text came through.

  I want to talk to you.

  I frowned at the message. It was from an unknown number.

  Who is this?

  I hit send and waited. There was no point playing games, I just wanted to know who I was dealing with.

  Hope’s father. I think we need to have a bit of a chat.

  The phone started to ring. I didn’t answer.

  It was strange. I didn’t feel fear. Not at that moment. The fear came later. At that moment, I felt a cold calm descending on me. I had a job to do. The emotions could come out later. It was like a question and answer session in my head.

  Harry’s dead. Do you want to die as well?

  No.

  So what do you need to do?

  Get out of here.

  Anything else?

  Get the case and get Hope.

  Then do it.

  I went to the tiny bedroom on the third floor where it was hidden behind the bookcase. Once I’d retrieved it, I found Hope in her room, looking completely at peace, reading quietly, her legs tucked under her in the armchair.

  “We need to go,” I said, hating the fact that I was having to destroy her peace.

  She didn’t ask questions. She just grabbed her shoes and followed me downstairs. I kept calm as we climbed into the car, more questions running through my head.

  Should you call the police?

  They’ll find us first.

  How do you know?

  Because Harry knows…knew his stuff.

  Where are you going?

  Somewhere safe.

  Is it not safe at home?

  Not if they worked out who I am.

  How would they do that?

  By looking at Harry’s phone, tracing the number.

  Where are you going to go?

  A second later, Hope asked the same question. “Where are we going?”

  “I’ve got a place,” I said, changing gear as I went into a bend. “It’s secret. No one knows about it. We’ll stay there for now, work out what to do next.”

  “Something happened to Harry, didn’t it?”

  I nodded, the first flash of emotion hitting me. Harry was dead. I stamped the feeling down. Deal with it later.

  “Is he…dead?”

  I nodded again.

  “Oh, Rob, I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. It’s my fault. I should have listened to you.”

  “You didn’t know what they were capable of, that’s not your fault.”

  “But you tried to warn me,” I said, gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. “I should have listened to you.”

  She fell silent, staring out of the front window. I concentrated on driving, getting us there in a couple of hours.

  The place I was taking us to was a little cottage in the middle of a forest. I’d bought it many years earlier, using it whenever I needed to get away from work. There was a single landline phone, slow internet, no mobile signal. It was perfect for escaping the frenetic life for a few days. I’d never told anyone about it so whoever was looking for Hope would never find it.

  My phone beeped in my pocket and I dug it out, passing it to Hope. “Read that to me,” I said.

  “We just want to talk to you, Mr Davies. That’s all.”

  “Does it say anything else?”

  “That’s it.”

  “We’re almost there,” I replied, turning off the main road onto a tiny little rutted lane. I slowed the car engine to a halt, leaving it running while I took the phone from her and rang Anthony. “Anthony, Rob. I need you to look after things for a while.”

  “Why, where are you?”

  As I went to answer, the phone vibrated in my hand. I looked down at the screen to
see another message appear.

  Tomorrow, three p.m. The house where you took her from us. Be there.

  Anthony was still talking but I had to work hard to tune back in. “Just don’t talk to anyone about me, all right?” I snapped, interrupting him.

  “What’s going on, Rob?” he asked. “Are you in some kind of trouble?” I could hear someone knocking on his door in the background.

  “Nothing I can’t handle. Look, you’re busy and I’ve got to go. I’ll be in touch, all right?”

  I’d always been in control in my life. But this was a gamble. I had no idea what I was going to do. I needed time to think. I stopped by the cottage, leaving Hope in the lounge whilst I headed into the adjoining garage. There was a punchbag set up in the corner and I began taking my frustration out on it, hoping to clear my mind enough to think about what I was going to do next.

  I had to deal with them. They were clearly dangerous. No doubt they’d soon be on their way to the mansion. What would they do when they found out I wasn’t there? Go to work on Potter? I made a mental note to ring and warn him but I was confident he could handle himself, that was why I’d hired him in the first place. He was the one who procured me the case and its contents.

  They’d go to work, try and act subtle, maybe pretend to be the police, wanting to talk to me, might even make up an accusation, need to know my whereabouts. But nobody would be able to give them any information. Not even Annie knew about the cottage.

  I threw one punch after another, thinking about Harry, about Hope, about them. I didn’t even hear her coming into the garage behind me until she spoke, her voice making me jolt upright in surprise.

  HOPE

  I EXPLORED THE HOUSE first. Not that there was much to explore. It looked like an old forester’s cottage, nestled in amongst trees that seemed determined to keep it hidden, keep it safe. There was a little strip of overgrown garden in front of the red brick structure. A fence made of rusting iron railings skirted the walls, hemming in beds of blooms. Wildflowers were in abundance and the inside of the house was as pretty as the outside.

  There was a bedroom upstairs, the bed covered in faded blankets. Next to that was a tiny bathroom. There was a lounge downstairs with a coal fire and then the kitchen, the cupboards filled with tins and packets, nothing fresh. I got the feeling he didn’t come here very often.

  I sat at the counter in the kitchen to think. He hadn’t looked scared on the way here, his chin set, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. But there was something in his manner that scared me anyway. He looked like he was capable of anything, that there was a barely contained fury bubbling somewhere under the surface. I was just glad that his anger wasn’t aimed at me.

  I felt sorry for the man he’d hired, one more person who’d been hurt because of me. As I sat there, I heard thuds coming from the garage so I went outside to investigate.

  The door to the garage was open and I could see him in there. He’d taken off his top, sweat running down his chest as his fists pummelled a punchbag that dangled from the ceiling.

  The bag was white with red spots coating the surface. It took me a moment to realise the spots were blood.

  “You’re hurting yourself,” I said, walking towards him.

  He jumped slightly, turning to face me, his chest heaving. “Huh?”

  “You’re hurting yourself,” I said, taking his hands in mine. “Look.”

  I turned his hands flat so he could see the grazes on his knuckles. “I hadn’t noticed,” he muttered.

  “Come with me,” I said, leading him back into the house. “Have you got a first aid kit?”

  “Over there, next to the oven.”

  I opened a cupboard door and dug out some antiseptic, applying some to his knuckles as he winced like a hero from a cowboy movie.

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “Why what?”

  “The hero can withstand any amount of punches, stabs, even bullets. But one dab of a cloth from the heroine and he winces like it’s the most agonising thing in the world.”

  “Maybe because it hurts?”

  “Oh, did I hurt you?”

  “Not really,” he said, reaching for a length of bandage and unravelling it slowly. “I can think of something that would make me feel better though.”

  I looked at the bandage and then at him. Was he doing this to distract himself from thinking? I realised I didn’t care. It would distract him, at least for a little while. And it would distract me. And, I wanted him to do it.

  “Into the bedroom,” he said, bringing two lengths of bandage with him, the ends trailing behind him. Once I was in there, he set the bandages down on the bed before turning his attention to me.

  He didn’t say a word as he lifted my dress from my body, tossing it aside as he looked down at me. “Fuck, you look good,” he said, reaching behind my back to unhook my bra.

  As my breasts came free, he grabbed them, groping them roughly, leaning down to suckle on each nipple in turn.

  “Panties off and onto the bed,” he said, watching as I obeyed him.

  I turned away, lowering them whilst bending at the hips, feeling his attention fixed on my ass. I’d forgotten about everything but him by that moment and it was a few seconds after I was laid down that I remembered the bandages.

  He tied one length around my right wrist, looping it over the end of the wooden headboard. He made a knot before attaching the other end to my left wrist, leaving me bound with my hands up above my head.

  I watched him, feeling more turned on as he did the same to my ankles, spreading them apart and binding them to the bed until I was spread-eagled and unable to do anything about it.

  He stood back, admiring his handiwork for a moment. “You look incredible,” he said. “And now I can do anything I want to you.”

  “Anything at all,” I agreed.

  He began to undress, taking his time, knowing I was aching for him already. It was the first time I’d seen him completely naked and the sight took my breath away. His muscles stood out in the light, his cock already rock hard. I knew how it felt to have that inside me and my body tingled at the thought of it being in me again.

  He climbed slowly onto me, kissing his way up my legs to my pussy, his tongue delving into me, lapping inside whilst he reached up to tweak my nipples.

  I’ve no idea how long I was laid there but it seemed to take forever for me to get what I wanted. Every single time he came close to slipping into me, he moved away, letting me taste him in my mouth, stroking my clit, playing with my body, using me, tormenting me, driving me wild with need.

  When he finally lay on top of me, looking into my eyes, he made me beg him. And beg I did.

  “Please fuck me,” I muttered, pushing my hips ineffectually up at him. “Please.”

  “Seeing as you asked so nicely,” he said, reaching down and easing himself into me.

  I let out a groan and as I did so, he plunged his tongue into my mouth, kissing me deeply whilst beginning to rock back and forth inside me.

  I came in under a minute, the combination of so long being teased and the feel of him rubbing against my clit enough to drive me over the edge as he continued to thrust into me.

  I screamed through my orgasm, wanting to grab him, to hold him in me. But my limbs were bound and I could only lay there whilst he continued to torment me, slowing down, pulling free, easing his way in again.

  He slid out and into my mouth, making me taste my own wetness before he returned to bring me to a second even more powerful climax within minutes.

  He grew faster with his thrusts as time passed, teasing me less, using my body to bring himself to an orgasm that made him grunt into my mouth, his body shuddering as he filled me with his creamy spunk. It felt warm, giving me a wonderful sense of fullness that remained even as he eased out of me and came to lay next to me, his hand on my chest. He kissed my neck gently before putting his head back on the pillow.

  “Going to let me go?” I asked.

 
; “Never,” he replied, his hand sliding down to my stomach. “I’m never letting you go.”

  ROB

  I WANTED TO TELL her where I was going but I didn’t want to frighten her. I knew she would try and stop me from going, tell me that I didn’t know what her attackers were capable of doing.

  But she didn’t know what I was capable of either. I had the case beside me in the car when I set off, hoping I wouldn’t have to use the contents.

  “It’s just one meeting and then I’ll be back.” She didn’t stir. I doubt she heard me.

  Technically I hadn’t lied to her. I was going to a meeting. It just wasn’t a work meeting. It was to decide the fate of her, me, and them. It was also a chance to find out the truth about what happened to Harry.

  It was a long drive. I’d set off first thing, leaving her still groggy in bed, knowing that was the best way to stop her asking too many questions. “I’ll be back soon,” I’d said as I kissed her on the forehead, hoping I was telling the truth, not wanting to think about the chance that I might not come back at all.

  The roads didn’t start getting busy until I was far along and I made good enough time to get to the house well before three. I pulled up at the roadside by the turn off and tried to think about what might happen, plan for all the different eventualities.

  From what I’d heard of them last time, they weren’t going to be a challenge. It had been child’s play to throw the stone through the gap in the cupboard, hear it land outside. That was enough of a distraction to send them away.

  But then they had managed to take on Harry.

  I knew I couldn’t underestimate them.

  I twisted in my seat and opened the case. The contents looked up at me, accusingly. I hadn’t looked inside for a very long time and it didn’t feel good slipping one of the knives into my pocket. I just hoped I wouldn’t need it.

  I left the rest behind, I got the horrible feeling that if things went wrong, they might be used against me.

  I made a mental note of the distance from the house to the car, walking through the woods and breaking a twig every now and then, leaving them dangling. To the untrained eye, they didn’t stand out but they meant I’d be able to follow the route back to the car if they came after me.