Billionaire's Protest: A Complete Romance Series

by Kira Blakely

  “It’ll be fine,” I said, reaching for her hand as I parked inside the gates of the trailer park. I had never been to a place like this before.

  Trailers were parked in a circle, some of them supported by massive red bricks to keep them above the ground. There had to be at least eight or ten in number, but I could see very few people. Just a couple of kids were kicking around a ball in the middle of the circle.

  Gemma must have seen me looking.

  “A lot of the families have moved out in the last couple of years,” she said as we got out of the car.

  She was back in her pair of jeans and the pink top and black sweater. Her hair was hanging loose in dark rich curls around her shoulders. She was right. I couldn’t quite picture her in a place like this. I smiled at her and nodded.

  “I don’t know what you’re expecting to find, Vincent, or why you’re even here,” she said as we walked together toward a mint-green trailer that had its front door slightly ajar.

  “I’m here because of you. I’m following you home, Gemma,” I said and placed a hand on her back. I could feel her muscles stiffen under my touch and I drew my hand away. I sensed that she still didn’t trust me. Perhaps she thought I had a hidden agenda for being here.

  “Mom? Dad?” she called out as she climbed up the three steps into the trailer. I followed her, crouching a little as I realized that the trailer’s ceiling was a little low for me.

  “Gemma?” an older man’s voice called from somewhere inside.

  I was struck instantly by how small the place was. We seemed to have entered a kitchen/living room, which had a couch and a tattered armchair by the window. A TV was playing the news on mute.

  Something like a stew was boiling on the stove, left unattended.

  “You’re actually home,” a man said, finally appearing from down a narrow hall, supporting himself on a walking cane. He looked much older, older than I would have expected Gemma’s father to be. He was in a yellowish tank top and a pair of track pants, adjusting his glasses on his nose. A thick cardigan was draped on his shoulders.

  He looked surprised to see me, as I stood beside Gemma with a smile on my face.

  “Hello, Dad. I’m home,” Gemma said and walked over to give her father a tight hug. He patted her back but kept his eyes on me.

  “Louise, we have a visitor!” he yelled out at the top of his lungs, and I stepped forward, extending my hand to him.

  “Vincent Stoltz,” I introduced myself and we shook hands. His hands were thin and cold, but he smiled at me nonetheless.

  “Stoltz?” He repeated my last name and I nodded my head.

  “I’m Dan Ramsey, Gemma’s father,” he said, staring me up and down, still in surprise.

  “Why don’t you take a seat, Dad?” Gemma said to him, leading him gently toward the battered armchair.

  “Who is it?” A woman appeared, wiping her hands on a dirty apron that she had tied to her waist. Her eyes widened when she drank me in, her mouth nearly fell open. She was old, too, but looked younger than Dan. She had her daughter’s same smoky amber eyes. Her hair was curly as well, but was now gray.

  “Mom, this is Vincent,” Gemma said meekly, standing between us.

  “I see,” Louise Ramsey said, as I extended a hand to her. She was looking at me sharply, her eyes still wide and a cold expression on her face. I had expected no less; I had kept her daughter away for several days.

  “Well, we hug each other around these parts,” she said and grabbed my hand instead of shaking it and pulled me in toward her. We were hugging, and I had never felt a warmer hug before.

  When I looked up, I noticed Gemma’s eyebrows arched up. She wasn’t exactly smiling but she looked surprised, like she wasn’t expecting her mother to react like this.

  “Well, you’re just in time then, children. I was just about to serve your father his lunch. Grab some bowls and settle down,” Louise said, walking past me casually to the stove. Gemma looked at me and I smiled at her.

  “And close the door will you, honey? There’s a draft coming in,” Louise added, looking up from her stirring of the pot.

  I had never seen my mother cook any meals for me. So, this was what a real home-cooked family meal felt like! I was the first one to grab a bowl from off the counter and I plonked it down next to Louise.

  “Smells delicious, Mrs. Ramsey,” I said, smiling down at the shorter lady. When she looked up, she was smiling, too. Gemma had been worried for no reason.

  Chapter 27

  Gemma

  Vincent had his head slightly bent the whole time he was inside the trailer, but he didn’t look uncomfortable. His shoulders were shaking now, as he laughed gloriously. Dad was laughing, too, while Mom repeated the story of me learning to ride a bike. Probably for the hundredth time in her life. Now she had found someone new to tell it to.

  “So, Gemma was determined, even as a kid,” Vincent said when his laughter subsided and he looked up at me.

  Our soups and bread was finished, but we were still sitting at the table, laughing. How long had it even been?

  “Always. You can’t fight her,” Dad said, throwing me a prideful look. I pouted my lips at him and Vincent laughed again. I had brought him here out of stubbornness, to show him why I had been so ashamed. And now he had managed to charm my parents and it felt like he had known them forever.

  “You should have just told us where you were, honey, and we wouldn’t have worried so much for you,” Mom said suddenly, turning to me.

  “Not her fault. I didn’t want people to find out where I was staying here,” Vincent cut in and I looked at him thankfully.

  “Do you have the paparazzi following you everywhere?” Dad asked. He couldn’t hide his curiosity.

  Vincent gave a short laugh and then he nodded. “A lot of the time, yes,” he said, exchanging looks with me.

  “So, what’s going to happen now? You’re going to go back to Los Angeles? Back to work? Is vacation time over for you?” Mom asked, and my heart sank again. Did we really need to be talking about this, now? Just when things were going so well.

  I avoided looking at Vincent, because I didn’t want to give away how anxious that had made me. How just the thought of not seeing him made me feel. I had no idea what any of this meant for our relationship, for us. Nothing had changed really. I still couldn’t change my life overnight. At least now, he knew why I was so uncomfortable in LA. Why I wanted to return home.

  “Vacation is over indeed, but I might stay here, in Carlow Ridge, for a few days. Just until Gemma can figure out the details,” Vincent said, without looking at me. Mom and Dad both turned to me in unison, while I stared at Vincent. What was he talking about? What details?

  “About what?” Mom asked, turning back around to Vincent.

  “Packing up, moving…” Vincent said casually, settling back in his chair. He ran a hand through his hair, as he met Mom’s questioning gaze with his usual charming calmness.

  “Moving? Where are you going?” Dad asked, now fixing me with a pleading stare. Mom didn’t dare ask me where I was going. The truth was that I didn’t know what Vincent was talking about.

  “She’s moving to LA with me. She’s going to try and get into med school there,” he said, finally meeting my gaze. His black eyes were glittering, while the dimples on his cheeks appeared again. It looked like he was enjoying himself, making my heart race like that.

  “Med school? You mean medical school? But, how?” Dad asked, pushing his empty bowl away from him. None of us had a clue what was going on.

  “She’s going to start applying, once she finishes her biology degree. She can complete it in LA and then apply for med school there, if she wants to, of course,” Vincent said, looking me straight in the eye. He wasn’t making this decision for me. He was giving me a chance to refuse him. He was making a suggestion, but giving me the opportunity to run away from it if I wanted to.

  “Is this true?” Mom asked beside me. All three of them were staring at me
now.

  “Yes, I want to study medicine. I’ve wanted to for a long time. I just couldn’t afford to go away from here,” I said, my voice breaking as I spoke. I still couldn’t afford to go away. Who would look after my parents? Where would I get the money?

  “What about…?” Mom asked, even her voice was shaking now. She was thinking the same thing I was.

  “I’ve offered her a job at my company. She can work there part-time while she finishes her biology degree,” Vincent said. He had thought of everything. When had he thought of all this?

  When Mom looked at me, I was nodding.

  “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll take care of everything,” I said and reached for her hand.

  “You’re going to have a big fancy job in LA? Our daughter?” Dad said, his voice hopping with excitement. I laughed, as did Mom, but she was tearful with joy.

  Vincent was sitting back in his chair, with his arms crossed over his chest. He was smiling proudly at me. When our eyes met, I was thankful and surprisingly, he looked thankful, too. As though he was thankful for the decision I had made. He had given me one last opportunity to push him away, but I hadn’t. I was clinging on to him, because we both knew the truth. We couldn’t live a moment apart. Since we had first met, we had developed an instant addiction for each other. There was no escaping it now.

  “You’re moving to LA!” Mom was talking too loudly now, excited and happy.

  “And you should come visit us,” Vincent suggested, laughing with her.

  “Can you imagine? Dan and I have been on an airplane only once before. What a treat!” Mom was saying, beaming at Dad.

  I hadn’t seen them this happy in several years. They were thrilled for me, for themselves and at how unexpectedly everything just seemed to be working out. Vincent and I had our eyes locked on each other again. No, my fairytale wasn’t ending, it had only just begun.

  Six months later

  Gemma

  I blinked at myself in the mirror in our bedroom. The same room where I had woken up on the carpet six months before, wondering if it was going to be my last morning with Vincent. Now, I couldn’t believe that this was the place I called home.

  I had just finished putting on a bright pink lipstick, which clashed with my still-pale complexion. Surprisingly, I hadn’t tanned yet in the harsh LA sun. I’d set my hair to cascade in curls around my shoulders. For the evening, I had selected an A-line black cocktail dress. Black pumps for my feet and a thin set of diamonds for my neck. Vincent had surprised me with the necklace only a week ago, when we were celebrating my graduation.

  I placed the lipstick back in its box on the dressing table, and I took in a deep breath. This was our first time entertaining as a couple. I had insisted that we do this, and that I cook everything from scratch. Neither Tim nor our full-time cook were allowed to help. I’d spent the whole afternoon cooking an elaborate three-course meal, and now Tim was laying it all out on the dining table downstairs.

  I heard the door open behind me, and Vincent walked in.

  “They’ve arrived downstairs, Gem,” he said, walking briskly over to me. We were looking at each other in the mirror, as he placed his large hands on my shoulders. Vincent looked handsome, in a crisp blue shirt and black dress pants. Crystal cufflinks shone at his wrists, I’d picked them out for him to match my necklace.

  “You look beautiful,” he said tenderly, placing a kiss on the top of my head. I smiled at him in the mirror. I’d been living in LA for six months now, and yet I was still nervous. I still had fleeting images in my head of the scene at the party. How I’d just hitched up my dress, kicked off my heels and run out. Facing the four of them again was going to be a real exercise of bravery, but I was determined to do it. They were Vincent's best friends. I couldn’t avoid them for the rest of my life.

  “Wish me luck,” I said, standing up to face him.

  He towered over me, his dark hair curling at the bottom edges, behind his neck. His eyes twinkled as he looked at me. I knew what he was thinking; he was already undressing me with his eyes. I bit down on my bottom lip and suppressed a smile.

  “You don’t need luck. They love you already because I love you,” Vincent said and gave me his hands. Our fingers interlaced and, hand in hand, we stepped out of the bedroom.

  Tim was in the process of taking their jackets at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Ah, Gemma!” Lily looked up at us with her kind blue eyes. She was more casually dressed today, in a long floral dress with lace sleeves. She had her arm entwined with Casper.

  “Hi, Lily… everyone,” I said, smiling with burning ruddy cheeks as we descended the stairs in a rush.

  Nash and Bonnie were smiling at us, too, and we all exchanged tight hugs. I was relieved to find that none of them appeared to be awkward. I was still conscious of our previous meeting, I was desperate to please them, desperate to make them see that I deserved Vincent.

  “Gemma’s slaved away all day cooking for us,” Vincent said, thumping Nash on his back.

  “See, Casper, you really should let me cook!” Lily said, to which Bonnie and Vincent laughed.

  “In our house, it’s Nash who does all the cooking. I honestly never have time,” Bonnie said, rolling her eyes. Vincent was leading us into the living room already, where Tim was mixing cocktails at the bar and pouring whiskey for the men.

  “I don’t think I’ve visited your house before, Vincent. It’s lovely,” Bonnie said, walking beside me.

  I could feel that familiar feeling of anxiety rushing up inside me. Even if nobody was mentioning it, I knew they were all thinking it. That awkward moment when I darted out of the room without any explanation. They were speaking amongst each other, but I wasn’t paying attention anymore, all I could think about was how embarrassed I was, how I had embarrassed Vincent in front of his friends that day.

  Tim was now handing out drinks to us from trays, while Vincent offered chairs to our guests. Eventually, it was just him and me standing.

  “Come, sit with us.” Lily patted the seat next to her, where Bonnie was sitting on the other side. I tried to paste a smile on my face as I walked over to her and sat down between them. I still felt intimidated by their presence, by the knowledge that these people knew Vincent more intimately, for longer, than I knew him.

  Vincent smiled at me, as he sat across from us, closer to his best friends.

  “So, Gemma. Give us all the gossip. Tell us everything.” Bonnie leaned in toward me. I turned to her and gulped, but Lily was speaking again. The two of them looked happy, thrilled. Their excitement was infectious. I could see that they were dying to discuss something they had been curious about for some time and hadn’t had the opportunity to talk with me about before.

  “Yeah, you go first and then we’ll fill you in on our story,” Lily said with a laugh. I was staring at them, looking from Lily to Bonnie and back to Lily again. What did they even mean by that? What story did they want to hear? Also, what story did they have to tell me?

  “Oh, I see Vincent has told you nothing. The three of us have one thing in common, Gemma,” Bonnie said, grabbing my hand in hers. She was patting my hand like she was about to give me some bad news. Uh oh, here it comes. She’s going to disclose something about Vincent that is going to ruin everything for me. Am I his mistress? Are we three mistresses to these three men? Does Vincent have a wife who I don’t know about? My nervousness didn’t put anything past the man I was in love with. I was ready to expect the worst.

  “We were all in the same boat once, not very long ago,” Bonnie added, and the smile on her face put me at ease, somewhat.

  “Yeah, we were each bad for their business,” Lily said with a loud magnetic laugh.

  ****

  “So, Saturday brunch at my place?” Bonnie said, giving me a hug before she leaned over to hug Lily.

  “See you then.” I smiled at her, before hugging Lily myself.

  It was two in the morning, and we were all a little drunk, but nobody had wanted
the party to end.

  “It was great meeting you, Gemma,” Casper said and I turned to find him engulfing me in a tight bear hug. Nash came over to hug me at the same time, and I was squashed between both men now.

  “Yeah, glad we all got to know each other. Vincent has been hiding you from us for too long,” Nash added.

  “I tried, for as long as I could. Keeping Gemma’s best interests in mind, of course.” Vincent had come over and placed a hand on the small of my back. When the other two released me, I snuggled into Vincent's arm.

  The two couples had come with their own chauffeur-driven cars, and now they were waving as they got into their respective ones. Six months ago, I wouldn’t have ever imagined that I would have friends like these. That people like them could be nice people. Down to Earth, warm and so welcoming.

  Vincent and I waved back as the two cars drove away, and he drew me closer to him.

  “Alone at last,” he said, wrapping his long muscular arms around me. I placed my head on his chest, a smile appearing on my face. I was tired, my feet hurt from wearing heels for so long, but I had never felt happier than I did tonight. Six months, and it had finally sunk in; this was actually my life. All of this was happening to me, for real.

  “Your friends are lovely, and Lily and Bonnie are terrific,” I said, my voice muffled by his chest as he held me close to himself.

  “They are, aren’t they? I could tell that they like you. Their little girl gang is strengthened in number now,” Vincent said, moving his hands down to my waist now.