Stanton Unconditional

by T L Swan

  “Josh, I need to go to the bathroom. I will be right back.” I kiss him gently as I rise from the bed. His eyes scan down my body and he frowns.

  “What?” I ask as I look down at myself.

  He reaches up and runs his fingers over the four bruises on my right hipbone.

  I frown. “What are those bruises from?”

  His face drops at the realisation. “My fingers.”

  I turn and look at myself in the mirror as I put my hair behind my shoulders, and I smirk. “I have the same four bruises on my left shoulder too.”

  His eyes widen in horror.

  “That was some hold you had on me from behind when I was on my knees. No wonder I’m sore.”

  He looks down at the bed. “I’m sorry. I lost my head.”

  My eyes hold his. “What was that? Round three?”

  He swallows and nods, daring me with his eyes to say something.

  “That wasn’t sex, Joshua.”

  “What was it?” he whispers.

  “That was a claiming. You were showing me who my body belongs to.”

  He raises an eyebrow in silent disapproval. “And was the message understood?” he says coldly.

  A frisson of unease runs through me and I nod. “Loud and clear Mr Stanton … loud and clear.”

  “So did you give your notice?” Joshua asks as he drinks his protein shake while sitting on the bench as I cook.

  “Aha.” I pour the vegetables into the wok off the chopping board.

  “One week?” he asks.

  “No, I told you I have to give two.”

  “We are leaving in a week,” he snaps.

  I roll my eyes. “Listen.” I point the wooden spoon at him. “I am moving to the other side of the world and I have things to tie up. I can’t just leave in seven days.”

  “Like what?”

  I raise my eyebrows. “Like my mother, like my apartment, like the two best friends I am leaving behind.”

  He swigs his drink angrily.

  “I was thinking we might move to Willowvale when we get home,” he replies.

  I turn and frown. “What out in the country… with the horses?” Is he kidding?

  He nods matter-of-factly and swigs more protein.

  I shake my head. “No.”

  He frowns. “What do you mean no?”

  I widen my eyes at him. “No, I am not moving to the country. I want to live near Adrian and I want to party…in LA.”

  He narrows his eyes at me. “Party?” he questions, affronted.

  I nod. “Aha, I’m only twenty-five, Joshua. I can think of nothing worse than being locked on a farm while you ride around on frigging horses like Captain America.”

  “Captain America doesn’t ride a horse,” he mutters.

  I roll my eyes in response. “I’m sure he did,” I snap.

  “We are moving to LA, you are buying me a new house and then when we are old and have two …” I hold up two of my fingers to accentuate my point, “two children, I will move to Willowvale … and not a moment before.”

  He narrows his eyes again. “Listen here …you will leave when I damn well say and if you think you are moving to LA to run amok you have another think coming. I won’t stand for it. And we are having six children!”

  I walk over to him and smile as I rub my hand over his penis through his suit pants. He closes his eyes and leans back to give me access.

  “You know Joshua baby,” I whisper as I smile into his neck.

  “Hmm,” he smiles.

  “I can be very persuasive when I want to be.” I smile and lick my lips as I unzip his suit pants. He lies back onto the bench on his elbows, and his eyes watch my mouth intently.

  “Hmm,” he sighs.

  I slowly slide his pants down and give him one long lick up the length of his shaft. “You see, I know I have something that you need and I’m prepared to bargain with it to get my own way,” I whisper as I smile and lick him again.

  He smirks. “Bitch,” he whispers.

  There is a knock at the door and Joshua jumps up in a start. “Piss off,” he snaps.

  I smile as I lick my lips and head for the door as Joshua straightens himself up in the kitchen.

  I open the door in a rush to see Ben talking to two men in the hallway.

  They turn to me and hand me a business card. I smile in question. “Hello.”

  Ben looks at me uncomfortably. “Natasha, these are police officers. They need to talk to you and Joshua.”

  I frown. “Is something wrong?”

  They look at each other and then at me. “Can we come in please?”

  I frown and Joshua walks up behind me and puts his hand out to shake theirs. “Joshua Stanton.”

  “Can we come in Mr Stanton?” the officer asks.

  He opens the door and holds out his arm. “Of course.”

  The officers walk in and Ben follows them. They all sit on the lounge.

  “What’s this about?” he asks as they take a seat.

  One of the officers hands Joshua a photo and he looks at it and frowns.

  “Is this the woman who has been blackmailing you?” the officer asks.

  Joshua’s eyes drop to the photo. “Yes,” he answers. “I’ve been through this.” He passes the photo to me. Stupid bitch’s face is staring at me in a mug shot. It looks as though it is a few years old. She is a brunette. My stomach rolls. God I hate that dirty whore.

  Shit! Abbie and Bridget are busted—their names should officially be changed to Dumb and Dumber. Who breaks into a house and then gets locked in there? I rub my forehead as nerves start to pump through me. If he asks me outright did they do it, what will I say? I can’t rat out my two best friends. Joshua must be able to sense my nerves and grabs my hand reassuringly. Ben stands to the side uncomfortably.

  “Have you found her?” Ben asks.

  “I’m afraid we have.”

  I swallow uncomfortably. Oh shit, here it comes. Did your two stupid friends break into her house? I drop my eyes. I can’t lie for shit.

  “She was found dead this morning,” the officer says.

  The room falls silent. Oh my god.

  “Why are you telling me this?” Joshua snaps.

  “You are, of course, a suspect, both of you.” He gestures to me.

  My eyes widen in horror.

  “We have been to her place and we have ten sets of different fingerprints from her apartment and we are analysing them now.”

  My stomach drops again. Oh my god, the girls’ fingerprints are all over that place.

  My horrified eyes meet Ben’s and he subtly shakes his head in a knowing gesture to tell me to hold it together.

  “I’m sure she was blackmailing about ten different men,” Joshua snaps.

  “She was and you are not the only man or wife in question. We are actually more interested in you, Ben.”

  Joshua’s face drops. “Why are you interested in Ben?”

  “He is a person of interest.”

  “What! That’s ridiculous!” Joshua snaps as he stands in a rush.

  “We have been doing a little research on you Ben. Ex special forces.”

  “Yes,” Ben answers flatly.

  “How much does Mr Stanton pay you per annum?”

  Ben’s eyes flick to Joshua. Shit, what is going on here?

  “That’s none of your business. Get out. I will not allow you to speak to him without a lawyer. How dare you insinuate he had anything to do with this,” Joshua snaps as he dials a number on his phone.

  “Murph, get over here.” He hangs up.

  My eyes widen as I sit riveted to the spot.

  “Two million dollars a year Ben, what kind of security do you get for that?” the policeman sneers. Shit, Ben gets paid two million dollars a year? That’s a lot of money.

  “That is none of your business!” Joshua snaps. “Of course he gets paid well, I am a billionaire and he is my chief of security. Do you think I would pay him peanuts?”

 
; “I imagine two million dollars would buy you some hard core loyalty.”

  Ben shakes his head calmly. “Check the security footage. I have been in this building and at Joshua’s workplace at all times. I have nothing to hide.”

  “Did you hire a hit Mr Stanton? You could definitely afford it.”

  Joshua screws up his face. “No, I did not hire a hit,” he snaps. “She probably overdosed.”

  The officer shakes his head. “No, she was found in the dockyard hog-tied with a gunshot wound to the back of the head.”

  My eyes widen even further. Crap … this is bad. Oh my god, what if the girls are implicated in this?

  “Leave please,” Joshua snaps. “My staff and I have nothing to do with this and unless you are going to arrest us or let us have a lawyer present we have nothing further to say.”

  They exchange glances and pass a business card to Joshua. “If you think of anything please let us know.”

  “I will,” Joshua sighs as he stands. Ben leaves with the officers to show them out.

  The door closes behind them and I turn to Joshua in a rush. “Oh my god, what if the girls are implicated in this?”

  Joshua looks at me grimly. “Why did they break in there anyway?” he snaps. “What were they thinking?” He shakes his head. “What are they—Starsky and Hutch now?”

  I put my hands over my face. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.”

  “Calm down.” He takes out his phone and dials a number. “Where are you?” he snaps. “Hurry up.” He hangs up and storms to the kitchen and flicks the jug. “This is a fucking disaster.”

  “I know, right, their names should be Dumb and Dumber.” I shake my head with my hands on my temples.

  He smirks. “That’s a fitting title.”

  I glare at him. “Well deserved,” I snap.

  I go to my bag and start rattling through it.

  “What are you looking for?” he asks.

  “My phone.”

  “It’s here on the bench.”

  I quickly dial Abbie’s number. “Hi Abbs.”

  “Hi chick.” She says cheerfully.

  “You need to get over here immediately.”

  “I’m at work, what’s up?”

  “TC has just been found dead and your and Bridget’s fingerprints are all over her place.”

  She goes silent.

  “Did you hear me?”

  “Shit,” she whispers. “On my way.”

  Adrian

  I sit at my desk, deep in thought. This whole blackmail thing is totally out of control and now the stupid girls have got involved it could bring us all undone. I have to ask the question—it’s been playing on my mind. Yet do I really want to know the answer? Ben and Joshua walk in and take a seat at the desk.

  “What’s up?” Joshua asks.

  “You know I love you guys, right?” I sigh.

  Joshua frowns in a question.

  “I have to ask this. Did you two have anything to do with that hooker’s death?”

  Ben and Joshua look at each other and then back at me.

  “No,” they both reply.

  My eyes hold theirs. “Did you think about it?”

  They look at each other again.

  “Maybe,” Joshua replies.

  I put my hand over my mouth and close my eyes. I knew it.

  “We would never have actually done it,” Ben replies. “It was just a thought.”

  “Have you two gone totally insane? Why would you even think that?”

  Joshua shrugs. “I told you I would do anything to keep the tape from Natasha.”

  I shake my head. “Ben, will you please start thinking for Joshua because where Natasha is concerned he does not have one brain cell.”

  They both smile. “We have clearance to leave Australia. It came through this morning,” Ben replies. “I know you don’t want this, Joshua, but Abbie and Bridget will have to come back to LA with us until they catch who did this.”

  Joshua shakes his head in frustration. “They will not be fingerprinted here.”

  Ben shakes his head. “And what if they are and convicted of murder when they were only trying to help you out? How will you feel then?”

  “Idiots,” Joshua snaps.

  I smile broadly. “What’s wrong Stan? Are the girls going to crash the slumber party you have planned?”

  He narrows his eyes. “They are actually,” he murmurs.

  “What if they won’t go?” I ask.

  “I’m not giving them a choice,” Ben replies. “This isn’t a joke, this is serious now. They have put us all under a cloud.”

  Joshua shakes his head in disgust. “Let them know.”

  Natasha

  Joshua lies on my bed as I pack the last of my wardrobe. “Why are you bothering packing everything anyway? Just buy new things when you get there.”

  I look at him deadpan. “Is that what you do?”

  He shrugs. “I have a full wardrobe at Willowvale and one for LA. That way I don’t need to pack when I go.”

  “So will I wear my jodhpurs in LA?” I ask a little too sweetly as I bat my eyelids.

  “You do know that you are learning to ride,” he replies matter-of-factly.

  I raise my eyebrows. “Pfff, as if.” I continue folding. “I hate horses … and vets. I really hate vets with a passion.” I widen my eyes to accentuate my point.

  He quickly scrambles to change the subject. “I’m glad your mother is coming over in a month.”

  My heart drops. “I’m more worried about Mum than ever. At least before she had Bridget and Abbie to keep her company but now they are coming she will be left here alone.” I keep folding the clothes and putting them in the suitcase.

  He smiles sadly. “She can come too. I told you that.”

  “She won’t. I’ve been trying to persuade her all week.” I sigh.

  I blow out a breath and walk back into the wardrobe.

  “Hurry up. I’m hungry,” Joshua calls.

  I stick my head out of the closet. “Well go and make us dinner, dick.” Who is he kidding … hurry up I’m hungry.

  “I meant so we can go out for dinner. There is no food in the house.”

  I stick my head back out of the wardrobe. “Joshua, we leave tomorrow. I am not going out for dinner tonight.”

  He shakes his head. “Looks like you are done to me.”

  I smile. “No, can you go and get my diaries from the shoebox and put them in this bag.” I put a large tote on my bed and open my bedside table drawer as Joshua walks into the wardrobe. My heart stops as my eyes look into the drawer.

  “Joshua,” I call.

  “Yeah,” he answers.

  “Have you packed my things?”

  “No,” he replies. “What things?”

  “Can you come here baby?”

  My heart starts to thump through my chest as I am gripped by fear and my eyes dart around the room. “Someone has been in here.”

  He frowns and walks over to see what I am looking at in the drawer.

  My pink vibrator sits in an empty drawer, but my underwear is gone.

  “Oh my god, he’s been here. He has been in here.”

  Joshua frowns again at the drawer. “Are you sure it was ever gone?”

  “Where is my underwear Joshua?” I yell as I grab my head in a panic. I run from the room to get my phone.

  “Who are you calling?” Joshua snaps as he senses my panic.

  “Max,” I spit out.

  He takes his phone out and rings Ben. “Can you get up here please. We have a situation.”

  Chapter 31

  I sit on the plane next to Adrian on the flight into Phuket. Joshua has insisted we come here for a week on the way to LA. Apparently this is one of the only places on Earth that he can relax and I can’t wait to see it. I watch him silently as he plays cards with Abbie and Cameron. He didn’t sleep last night. He, Max and Ben were up watching security tapes all night. My apartment was broken into yesterday by someone
. I never imagined it—who would want to do this? It doesn’t make sense. The motive for scaring the hell out of me is still unknown, and Joshua was frantic. I have never been so glad to get on a plane as I was today. TC’s murder, Coby Allender the serial killer, Margaret Stanton and her ultimate betrayal, I can’t wait to get the hell out of here. Joshua’s uninhibited laughter echoes through the cabin, and I smile broadly at their interactions. He changed out of his suit two hours into the flight and since then the real beautiful Josh has come to visit. What must it be like to be him and under so much scrutiny all the time? What is comforting though is the fact that he is finally being himself around the girls. I suppose he realises they are going to be around more than he previously thought and has finally let his guard down. Bridget is up the back of the plane talking to Ben and the other guards and Adrian has come down to sit with me. Abbie is getting her ass kicked at poker.

  “They’re cheating.” Adrian smiles.

  I frown. “Who?”

  “Joshua has been teaching Cam to count cards.” He smirks.

  My mouth drops open. “Joshua knows how to count cards?”

  He raises his eyebrows and smiles. “Ahuh.”

  I narrow my eyes. “What must it be like to be that intelligent, Adrian?” I sigh.

  He smiles sadly. “I imagine lonely, Cinderella.”

  My face drops. “Lonely?” I question.

  “Joshua’s insides don’t match his outsides.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “Look at him.” He gestures and my eyes flick to my beautiful man, laughing freely as he plays, and I smile broadly.

  “He looks like a movie star so people expect him to be stupid, so then a lot of people annoy him because of their lack of intelligence. The people who are like him on the inside are computer geeks who have hardly any life experience because they have been on their computers or gaming for most of their life.” He sighs. “He’s between two worlds and that’s why the paparazzi have so much interest in him. He doesn’t fit the bill—he’s not normal.” He smiles.

  I frown. “Is that why he spends so much time with you and Cam?”

  He smiles. “Yes I think so.” He shrugs. “Cam is his brother and I am so close that I’m like his brother he feels comfortable with us. He can be himself.”

  I smile as my eyes flick to Joshua again. “Did you think we were going to make it Adrian?” I ask.