“Did… did you say… $100,000… sir?” Brad whispered softly. There was disbelief in his voice. Mr. Bullens nodded. Brad took a moment to answer. He thought about the large amount of money. With that sort of money his mother could get the treatment she needed until an organ donor came through.
Maybe she would even to get out of the hospital and come home. Brad then looked at Kiley thinking that as her bodyguard he would spend more time with her. He looked at Kiley before looking at Mr. Bullens. Slowly he nodded his head. Kiley smiled big and hugged him.
“Great. I also provide housing and a vehicle for you.” Brad looked at the man in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that this was happening.
“Thank you, sir.”
“But… before you start… you need to get through the application process…” Brad looked at Mr. Bullens quizzically.
“Application process?” Brad knew the offer had been too good to be true. There was a catch. There was always a catch.
“In order to be Kiley’s bodyguard you will need to beat Ramos here in a fight.” Mr. Bullens held out his hand and motioned to Kiley’s current bodyguard, an ex-military veteran who had served ten years as a special operations agent. Brad looked at the man. He noticed the man’s tall stature and muscular fight. There was a harsh look in the man’s eyes. This would be no easy fight.
“C’mon Brad I know you can take him!” Kiley said, encouraging him. He looked at her before looking at her father.
“I accept.”
A few hours later, the two men were in the middle of the backyard. They looked at each other for a moment before shaking hands. Brad thought this to be a very bizarre situation.
“First man to be pinned down for 3 seconds is the loser, keep it clean, no major injuries.” Mr. Bullens explained before starting the fight. The two men circled around each other. Kiley could see that Brad was analyzing his opponent’s every move.
They kept moving before Brad was suddenly tackled to the ground. Kiley winced as she watched Brad hit the ground.
Brad quickly recovered, however. He started to dish out fast jabs at his opponent. Ramos, highly trained, avoided most of them. He was quick on his feet and Brad took a while to adjust his fighting style. Soon, however, Brad gained the upper hand. He started to fight with his powerful legs, dishing out kick after kick, gaining momentum.
While Ramos found himself getting worn down by this man. He tried to counter, but Brad was too quick. Ramos breathed hard as he tried to recover. As he did, Brad landed a roundhouse kick to Ramos’ head. Kiley flinched as she heard the sound of a jaw dislocating. She closed her eyes and looked away. So much for no major injuries.
Ramos hit the ground hard, collapsing like a sack of potatoes. Brad quickly got on top of him, pinning him down.
“1… 2… 3!” Mr. Bullens looked surprised. He hadn’t expected this stranger to take down one of his best bodyguards.
“You’re… you’re hired…”
Kiley rushed over and hugged him. He grinned proudly as he picked her up and spun her around. She giggled as they kissed.
“I knew you could do it…”
Chapter 7
A few weeks later, Brad found himself feeling happier than ever. He was now living a decent life and his mother was getting the proper treatment she needed. His girlfriend was amazing and their sex was indescribable. Life seemed perfect.
Today, Kiley and Brad were taking a walk around the city. Kiley was holding Brad’s hand as they passed an alleyway. As they did, they heard the sound of a fight.
“What’s that?” Kiley asked.
“Sounds like a street fight to me.” Kiley looked up at him with big eyes. There was a mischievous look on her face.
“No… absolutely not… you know those days are over for me. I don’t fight anymore. I’m your bodyguard now.” He smirked and looked down at her, gently kissing her forehead. She pouted at him.
“C’mon you know you would win if you did!” Brad looked at her and sighed. He couldn’t tell her no.
“But street fights are…” Kiley cut him off with a kiss. Brad was about to tell her that street fights were dangerous. They involved even fewer rules than underground fights and often times they involved knives and other weapons. Kiley, however, pulled him into the alley. There was a group of men circled around a current fight. Kiley could hear the sound of men groaning and winced a bit, imagining the bloody pulp they were beating themselves into.
“I got your next fighter right here!” Kiley exclaimed, grabbing everyone’s attention. Everyone turned, looking at her.
“Is that so? That pretty boy wouldn’t last five minutes with my man.” Kiley glared at him.
“I bet $5,000 that my man will win.” Everyone’s eyes grew in surprise.
“Kiley… are you sure? $5,000 is a lot of money…” He whispered. Kiley shushed him, pulling the money out of her purse.
“What do you say hot shot?” The man grinned taking the money.
“Fine if you have a death wish for him, I won’t stop you.”
Brad looked nervous. For some reason, he didn’t feel right about this fight. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach. He looked around and tried to calm himself down. It was not like him to get pre-fight jitters. As he looked around he locked eyes with Kiley who gave him a thumbs up. He knew he couldn’t let her down.
Suddenly the fight broke out. Brad was doing well and holding his own when suddenly things got dirty. His opponent pulled out a knife. This took Brad by surprise. Before he could react the knife was already inside of him. He fell to the ground in pain. His opponent smirked, kicking him in the stomach.
Kiley tried to run forward and help her boyfriend when someone grabbed her. They pulled her out of the alley. She kept screaming and struggling before a group of men threw her into the back of a van. Brad groaned as he watched everything from his fallen state.
The men continued to hit him and torture him and it was a surprise they didn’t kill him. When they thought he was beyond repair the crowd dissipated. Brad watched in horror as a man in a red hoodie, the same red hoodie from the night when he saved her. This man got into the van and drove away as Kiley screamed for help.
Brad tried to get up and run, but he couldn’t. Everything went black.
Chapter 8
A few hours later Brad woke up and cursed under his breath. He got up and winced as he felt the pain of all his injuries. He quickly pulled the knife out of his side, grunting in pain. He was bleeding, but he ignored it. He had other matters to attend to. They had taken Kiley and he needed to find her.
Quickly he pulled out his phone. He was glad they hadn’t taken it from him. When he became Kiley’s bodyguard, he had gotten access to the tracking device on her phone. If Kiley had her phone on her he would be able to find her. He looked at his phone, quickly finding the information he needed to rescue her.
It looked like she was in one of the abandoned subway stations. Brad started to run down the street. His heart was pounding in his chest as he thought about his girlfriend. He prayed she was okay.
Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he broke down the wooden boards shutting away the entrance of the station. He crashed down the stairs and winced as he tumbled down the steps. He got up and started to search for Kiley.
As he walked through the station, he noticed a light coming from an abandoned subway cart. He approached it slowly, peeking inside one of the windows. Kiley’s hands were tied to one of the subway poles and there were three men guarding her. Brad formed a plan before creeping into the train.
He took down the first man easily. The other two men charged at him and he did his best to fight them both at the same time. Somehow, in the end he managed to slam both of their heads together, making them fall, unconscious to the floor. He looked up, ready to save his girlfriend when his eyes grew wide in horror.
Before him, Kiley looked scared as the barrel of a gun touched her forehead. She was whimpering softly as the man with the red hoodie looked a
t Brad, a grin on his face.
“Not so tough now are you?” The man grinned as he cocked the gun.
“Don’t!” Brad pleaded as he looked at the man. “Kill me instead.”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea…” He grinned and pointed the gun at Brad. Kiley’s eyes grew large as she shook her head in terror. She tried to escape her bonds as the man put his finger on the trigger.
Suddenly the sound of a gunshot resounded through the subway cart. Kiley closed her eyes as her heart pounded in her chest. She heard Brad scream out in pain and feared the worst. She was too scared to open her eyes.
The man with the red hoodie smirked as he watched Brad wither in pain. He pointed the gun at Kiley, taking his attention away from Brad. When he did, Brad quickly swept the man’s feet from under him, knocking him to the ground.
He moved quickly, knocking the gun out of the man’s hand before raining down punch after punch on the man’s face until he was unconscious. Brad breathed hard as blood spilled from his bullet wound. Despite this, he got up and untied his girlfriend holding her close.
She finally opened up her eyes to look at him. She kissed him deeply. She was glad he was alive and thankful that they were both okay. Or so she thought. She looked down to see his bloody shirt.
“You’re… you’re hurt!”
Chapter 9
Kiley paced around the hospital hallway anxiously. The doctors said that Brad’s condition was critical. Kiley was scared. She didn’t want to lose him.
She bit her nails as she paced the halls. She just wanted him to be okay. She started to blame herself for the whole thing. He didn’t want to fight, but she had made him. If she hadn’t been so stupid none of this would have happened. She felt like such a selfish idiot.
“Miss. Bullens?” Kiley suddenly whipped her head up, forgetting her thoughts as she looked at the doctor. She walked up to him quickly.
“Doctor! Is he okay? Tell me he’s okay!” Kiley demanded breathlessly. The doctor smiled warmly at her.
“He is okay. He is stable now and should be released in a couple of weeks. His wounds were superficial. Lucky guy.” Kiley smiled in relief. “Thank goodness.” She looked at the doctor. “May I see him?”
“Of course.” Kiley followed the doctor into the hospital room before running into Brad’s arms. He winced when she hugged him, but he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.
He was glad she was okay. He kissed her head before laying her head on his chest.
“Are you okay?” He asked, looking at her with concerned eyes. She couldn’t believe that he was asking her such a question when he was the one lying in a hospital bed. She nodded, nonetheless. “Good.”
“What about you…?” She asked softly, looking at him, her eyes starting to water. “I… I feel like such a fool… I’m sorry about everything… I should have never made you fight… “Kiley was crying now, her tears soaking into his chest. He gently ran his fingers through her hair trying to soothe her.
“Hey… shh… it’s okay… we are okay now and that’s all that matters, okay?” She nodded and blushed looking up at him. She leaned forward and kissed his lips gently.
“I love you,” she said for the first time. Brad was taken aback by her words and blushed. Kiley frowned, thinking he wouldn’t say it back. She looked away, embarrassed.
“I love you too Kiley,” he said gently. Kiley’s head snapped up as she looked at him with big eyes.
“R… really?” She asked a little surprised. He nodded and grinned before kissing her again.
“Really.” He smiled at her. She giggled.
“From now on I think we should stay away from underground and street fighting. Maybe you could join MMA or something? You know something with rules and regulations.” Brad thought about it for a moment.
“I would like that… but on one condition.” Kiley tilted her head in question.
“And what is that?”
“I need you to be my number one fan.” She smirked.
“I already am.”
*****
THE END
Sweet Release
MACY
I sorted through the few remaining memos on my desk, searching for some work to help pass the time. Coming up empty, I sighed. Yet another to-do list completed before lunch. Yet another glaringly obvious sign that I was overqualified for this position.
Not a huge surprise, though. I figured as much when I applied for the job six months ago but at the time it was more about getting back on my feet than finding something perfectly suited. I left perfect far behind in my old life. Perfect wasn’t all it cracked up to be.
I was always expected to be the smart daughter, the loyal girlfriend, the dependable employee. But, little by little, things unraveled until I found myself here in this glorified secretary position, thanking the universe for my foresight to cushion my savings account while things were still good. Though at the time it was a nest egg for a house or a new car. I never expected my life to take such a sharp detour.
And I never expected someone like Brenn Michaels to be into someone like me.
But he was.
I could tell by the way he watched me from his open door while I bustled around in the outer office. I could tell by the way he leaned in close over my shoulder while going over his daily schedule. I could definitely tell by the way his eyes would drift over my body. And if there was any question left in my mind, then that time in the boardroom sealed the deal.
And a few months ago when I found out I was pregnant it wasn’t the deal breaker I was expecting it to be. I assumed once I started to show and my body started changing he would back off and we’d morph back into a mostly professional, albeit awkward, relationship again.
Not the case.
The bump could no longer be hidden under an extra layer but Brenn’s interest hadn’t waned. Not yet anyways. Just the opposite, he seemed drawn to my new curves. His mouth no longer nibbled at my tits, but feasted.
And I tried my best to ignore the way his hands floated, lingered, over my stomach. I resisted the urge to flinch away from his attention, not yet accustomed myself with the unfamiliarity of my own body. If he noticed my hesitation he was good at hiding it.
I’d spent a lot of time, too much time, wondering why someone like Brenn would be interested in me and my baggage. He’s smart enough to run this business, which from everything I knew was successful. He’s able to speak in full and complete sentences around a woman. And good god he’s handsome and definitely knows his way around a vagina, so no problems there.
Why in the hell he was with a woman who, after learning her boyfriend was a cheater and her parents would rather see her married than happy, quit her well-paying job as a nurse, packed as much as she could into her tiny car and ran, was beyond me.
And really, at this point in my life where I’d made so many bad decisions, Brenn hardly seemed like the worst thing. Even if I didn’t fully understand his interest in me I trusted him and that wasn’t something I could say about many people. I would take his cute, tailored suit clad ass for as long as he’d have me.
And not because I loved him. Not at all. Because admitting that would be one of the worst decisions I could make. A one way ticket to disaster. Six months in and one baby on the way was probably the absolute wrong time to explore those thoughts.
My stomach rumbled, a jack hammer pounding against me jumbling my thoughts, and I looked at the clock. Lunch time.
Brenn’s door was closed. The little light on my phone indicating he was still talking to Mr. Merrell. I leaned back in my chair to peer through the glass transom that bordered his office door. His brow was etched in thought, hand rubbing the back of his neck.
His serious face. Shaking his head and talking into the phone, brows pushed together, I could hear the tone of his voice in my head, the deep rumble as he bit out commands and I felt a hunger for something much better than anything the cafeteria had to offer.
Yep. Definitel
y not smitten.
My body ached like some kind of Pavlovian conditioning. Noon on the clock signaled a locked door and an hour of privacy with Brenn. I glanced again at that damn light on my phone and cursed these damn hormones for making me ache for him. Shameless.
My stomach rumbled again and I sighed, resigning myself to the fact that the baby was going to win this round. I closed my eyes and practiced a few deep breaths to stymie the throb that pulsed between my legs before grabbing my purse and heading down to the cafeteria.
Brenn’s company, which he co-owned and ran the day to day, held two floors in the building. The remaining floors were owned by other companies with a shared independently owned cafeteria in the middle. This job was miles from working at the hospitals and clinics I was used to, but cafeteria food remained the same.
ROMANCE: BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: Completely Obsessed (Bad boy Alpha Male Pregnancy Romance) (New Adult and College Contemporary Romance) Page 13
