Freedom: A Captivating and consuming contemporary romance (Freedom series Book 1)

by J Grayland

  “What?”

  “This morning she made it quite clear that you had spent the rest of the night in her bed.”

  “What the hell? I went there for coffee and that’s all, nothing happened” he said in a low growl I walked over to the couch and sat down leaving him running a hand through his hair. “Why the hell would she say that?”

  “Have you been so oblivious to her behavior that you haven’t noticed how she feels about you.”

  “Obviously,” he said with a blank look on his face. “She actually said that?” “Oh she’s said a lot more than that,” I said and noticed that now he was rubbing at the back of his neck with fury.

  “Go on” he encouraged.

  “She knew things…about me, personal things that she said you had talked to her about.”I said hesitantly.

  “Fuck me,” he spat out. “This is just getting better by the minute.” He sat down on the couch opposite me. “I have never spoken to her about you, my private life is just that- private.” I could see a myriad of emotions in his eyes- anger, confusion but the one that caught my attention the most was honesty.

  Closing my eyes I sighed,“I know Nate, I know nothing’s going on between you and her. I could see the game she was playing from a mile away. She has a crush on her boss and when another woman comes into the picture she feels threatened and she’ll try anything and everything to get me out of the picture.” Those deep steely eyes of his looked slightly relieved.

  “Yeah well it’s not going to happen first thing tomorrow it stops”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Fire her ass” he half yelled.

  “Can’t you just move her somewhere else?” I asked.

  “You’re kidding me right?”

  “I know, but she’s young and immature. Being in love with someone can make people do weird things.”

  “I’m not going to keep her employed just because she’s immature Casey, actions have consequences, and I won’t have someone like that working for me. Not now, not ever” I didn’t say anything to that, after all, it wasn’t up to me. It didn’t stop me from feeling bad about it though. After a few minutes silence between us, his eyes narrowed at me and he said: “There’s more isn’t there?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If you didn’t believe what Charlie had told you then why were you so pissed ?” Looking down at the floor, I shrugged. “No, don’t do that I want an answer, not silence, you’re not shutting down on me again. She said something to you that’s gone deeper in that over-thinking brain of yours, and you need to tell me…now.” I could hear the anger starting to come back into his voice, and he was right, we had come so far the last few weeks and when Charlie had told me about his sexual preferences in the bedroom, it had been like a punch to the stomach.

  Standing up I started to pace back and forth in front of him. “Casey,” he growled out my name and it made me jump. Blowing out a slow breath, I said, “She said that you like sex…. Rough, and because of my sexual inadequacies that you’d get bored with me” I cringed at my own words.

  “What the fuck?” he cursed and stood up from where he sat and headed towards the elevator grabbing his phone and keys from the kitchen island on his way. I quickly followed him. “Nate, where are you going?” Spinning to look at me I saw the sparks of fury on his face, that little muscle at his jawline ticked and jerked. “I’m going to see Charlie, this is bullshit” he spat out as he gripped the back of his neck in frustration.

  “What now?”

  “Yes, now. Besides the fact that she disrespected and upset you, I want to know where she keeps getting all this shit from. Is she listening in on private calls, on meetings, on private conversations between me and Paxton?” He continued towards the elevator.

  “Nate, wait,” I said getting closer to him.

  “What?”

  “Is it true?”

  “What the hell Casey?”

  Stumbling through my words now, I tried to get them out. “I mean, if you think that she may have listened in on private conversations, then she must have heard you and Paxton discussing your sex life.” I looked down at the marble patterned floor of the entry.

  “Really, do you think I discuss my sex life with my brother in the office all day?” “I didn’t mean that I’m just saying…I don’t know what I’m saying anymore.” Looking up into his face I asked the question that had been bugging me since the staff party.

  “Is our lovemaking satisfying for you, or are you…holding back?” His eyes searched mine. I could see he was trying to find the words to placate me, and that pause that he took before he answered, was the answer to my question. I started to back away from him and he stepped forward reaching out a hand to touch me, but I moved.

  “Casey”

  “It’s fine Nate, I understand.”

  “No, you’re jumping to conclusions.” He growled.

  “No, I knew from the moment I met you, you were strong and commanding. Until we got back here, then you changed your whole personality. Was that for me?”

  “Nooo”

  “Because I don’t want that Nate, I don’t want to change you, I couldn’t live with that. My life has already been fucked up beyond belief and I will not be responsible for dragging you into it.”

  “You have it all wrong, yeah I toned my overbearing, arrogant personality down a notch or two. but that was because I realized that someone in your past must have hurt you and I didn’t want you to be afraid of me but don’t ever doubt that what happens between us in the bedroom is false baby.”

  “I don’t doubt it, but I don’t want to stop you from being you Nate, because if I do, eventually you will get bored and dissatisfied, and after what I’ve experienced with you over the last weeks, I don’t want to go back to what I was. Nate, you have given me freedom and I like it too much to give it back.” Before I knew what was happening Nate had backed me up against the wall and caged me in with a hand on either side of my head.

  “Baby,” the words were almost a soft whisper but I shook my head. “Listen to me when I tell you, I would never do anything to hurt you, please don’t destroy what we have.” Looking up into his eyes they were swimming with emotions, this tough man that stood in front of me at that moment looked so vulnerable and open. I swallowed down the lump that had formed in my throat. “I won’t, I just need some alone time, ok?”. His brows furrowed and I continued, “things have been moving pretty fast and I just need to ground myself ok?” Slowly he nodded and backed away from me.“Ok” Relief flooded through me as I said, “Thank you”.

  Chapter Thirty

  Nate

  The next morning I sat in my office going through the blow out Casey had the previous day. I’d come in early this morning, before anyone else. I found it too hard to sleep in my own bed without her next to me, but given all that had happened and the need to fiercely protect her from everything, and anything I also know that underneath her tough exterior she’s fragile and so, respecting her request for some alone time, I had gone to my own bedroom last night, leaving my door open so she knew I was still there.

  Flipping on the computer I went through my agenda for the day, then went through my emails. I’d texted Paxton earlier letting him know to come to my office as soon as he got here so when he waltzed through the door not long after, I told him to sit down and went through the whole story of Charlie’s antics. When I finished, he looked just as pissed as I was feeling, and he agreed with me that there was no room for someone like her in King Security.

  When my phone buzzed just after 9 am, I let Charlie know that she needed to come to my office before she did anything else. Knocking before she entered, she slowed when she saw Paxton sitting in one of the chairs in front of my desk. “Is there something I can do for you Mr. King?” she asked.

  “Yes, you can take a seat.” I gestured to the other chair and she slowly lowered herself into it.

  Nervously she looked at Paxton, then at me. When I shook my head s
he asked, “Is there something wrong?”

  “I guess you could say that,” I said raising a brow. “When you dropped my phone and files off yesterday at my home you had an altercation with Ms. Tyler.”

  “No, not at all,” she said innocently.

  “Sooo-you’re saying nothing happened?” I asked.

  “Nothing of significance.”

  Blowing out a breath of air in annoyance, I said, “Look, Charlie, I’ll cut to the chase here because frankly I’m done with the whole thing. You and I have never had a relationship, correct?”

  “No Mr. King.”

  “Well, at least we have that straight. So why have you been telling Ms. Tyler that we are in a relationship.”

  Her eyes grew wide like saucers as her jaw dropped open, “I-I-I haven’t Mr. King.”

  “So what? Are you telling me she’s making it all up?”

  “I...I don’t know” she stuttered.

  Charlie started to fidget in the chair. She looked uncomfortable, good, that’s just what I was aiming for. “The thing that I want to know is, where did you get all the information from, you know about my sexual preferences in bed, did you hack into my emails or listen in on calls and private conversations, because if you did then we will be looking at pressing charges for invasion of privacy and breaking your non disclosure contract.” Looking over at Paxton, he nodded in confirmation. “Oh, absolutely,” he agreed.

  “What? No,” she almost shrieked out, I knew that would get her attention, her hands twisted in her lap and there were tiny beads of moisture gathering along her top lip. Swiping an imaginary hair away from her face, she sat up straight and squared her shoulders. “Ok, I didn’t break any nondisclosure rules or invade your privacy. I was bringing some files into your office one day and happened to hear you both having a conversation about Ms. Tyler and I didn’t want to interrupt so I didn’t come in.”

  “But you stood around the door long enough to get what you wanted, right?”

  “Nooo-it wasn’t like that, you don’t understand.”

  “Then enlighten me, Charlie,” I said, coming around to the front of the desk and leaning back against it, folding my arms across my chest.

  Looking up at me she cleared her throat. “I just wanted to make her think there wasn’t a future between you and her.” Taking one stride away from the desk to stand in front of her, I thought about what Casey had said about this woman and her crush, and even though right now she was pissing me off, hurting a woman, even her feelings, was not who I was. I may be an arrogant prick but, never to a woman.

  “And why would you want to do that?” I asked her.

  Lowering her gaze to her hands that sat in her lap, her shoulders visibly shrank back. “ I don’t know, I just thought that maybe, one day, you and I….” immediately I cut off her words.

  “No, there never was and never will be anything between us Charlie.” When she brought her face back up to look at me, I saw the tears well in her eyes.

  “But you’re always so nice to me, you give me time off when I need it, you always smile at me and ask me how I am. I thought it was just a matter of time before you asked me out.”

  “Just because I treat you like a human being and not like my slave, does not mean that I want to date you, Charlie.”

  “But you might have one day…if she hadn’t come into the picture” she sniffled.

  “She has a name. Ms. Tyler is already under a lot of stress due to the situation, she’s in a strange country with strange people and what you did was disgusting behavior that has ultimately thrown a spanner in any progress that we’ve made so far, not to mention you have disrespected your employer with lies and we don’t work like that. We rely on honesty and integrity from our employee’s and trust, and I’m sorry but we don’t trust you any longer.”

  She stands quickly, “Please Mr. King I can’t lose my job.” She pleads.

  “You should have thought about that before Charlie.”

  “So… you’re firing me?” she asks, eyes wide. I pause for a moment and just look at her and all I see is fake tears. This isn’t some innocent woman with a crush, this is an opportunist, a phony, everything about her is fake, she will change herself to get what she wants. Why the hell didn’t I see this before? She wants a man that can provide her with security, and I don’t think this revelation will put an end to her plans. This time when I look at her, I feel nothing when I say “Pack your stuff up, I want you out of this building within the hour, you’re fired.”

  “What?” she gasped looking at Paxton for confirmation.

  “You heard him,” he said, and she instantly stiffened her body in response, lifted her chin and left.

  Paxton looked at me. “Phew what a bitch.”

  “Yeah, well I’m not too proud of letting her go, she was good at her job, but I can’t trust her and I won’t have her upsetting Casey.” Walking over to the bar in the office I poured him a mug of hot coffee and refilled my own, and handed it to him.

  “So how is Casey?” he asked.

  “She’s…mad”

  “I bet she is,” he scoffed.

  “But she trusts me and we did hash the whole thing out but her shutters started to come down again and she needed some time to herself. She handles things differently to any other woman I’ve known.”

  “It sounds like it. If that was Lynda, she would have my balls on a plate right now. They must build women tougher down under.”

  “She sure is a tough cookie, well on the outside anyway, but on the inside…now that’s a totally different story.” Paxton stood. “Give her time bro.”

  “I intend to Paxton don’t you worry”.

  Later that morning I had another meeting to attend with the Bank of West board, some papers needed to be signed before we could start implementing their security take over. The meeting was supposed to be short but it ended up including lunch with drinks. I didn’t get back into my own office until well after 4 pm and I still hadn’t answered any of the multitudes of emails that were clogging up my inbox. I needed to sift through them and flag the ones of interest and forward them on to Paxton for viability. Picking up my phone, I checked it for any messages from Casey, but there was nothing. It seems I had already gotten used to receiving at least several text messages from her during the day, but not today.

  Paxton came back into my office as I was trawling through emails, with a folder in his hands. He dropped it onto my desk. “That’s everything for the Bank of West, everything is signed, sealed and delivered, so you can start strategizing security plans.” He said looking relieved.

  “Great, I’ll take it home and look it at it later.”

  “Just remember you have 30 days from today to have everything in place for the take- over.” Before I could answer him my phone buzzed. Looking at the screen, Nick’s name came up. Tapping the button, I brought it up to my ear .“Yes Nick”

  “Err, we have a problem Mr. King” his tone made feel uneasy.

  “What kind of problem?”

  “It’s Ms. Tyler… I lost her.”

  Standing up, I yelled into the phone .“What do you mean you lost her.”

  “I don’t know, I took her to buy some groceries, she went in the store but never came out. I’ve been through the whole place Mr. King and she is no- where.” Rubbing my hand down my face I could feel the anger starting to fill my veins and before it got to my mouth, I asked: “Tell me Nick, why the fuck was she in the store by herself while you’re outside when I specifically told you to be her god damn shadow?” My last few words came out in a harsh angry yell.

  “I’m sorry Mr. King, but she always tells me to wait outside.”

  “She isn’t paying your salary Nick, I am, and you were supposed to stick to her like glue…FUCK! Just text me the address where you are and stay there. I’m on my way.” Disconnecting the call, I shoved the phone into my pocket and looked up at a worried looking Paxton.

  “What?” he demanded.

  “Casey’s
missing, I have to go.” Grabbing my car keys.

  “I’m coming,” he said following me to the door.

  “No, stay here and pull some of the guys in to assist. I’ll text you where I am when I get there I have a tracker on her phone, so go down to the surveillance room and see if you can find it” I said, jotting down the number of the phone and handing it to him then heading for the door.

  “Done, just go find her Nate,” Paxton said. I gave him a quick nod and headed down to the garage.

  Once Nick had sent me the address, I was there within a few minutes. We scanned the area again and went back through the grocery store, talking to the manager. He showed me to the two exit doors at the back of the store and Nick and I went over the area looking for something, anything. At the back of the store was an alley coming in from the main road. I’m guessing this is where the delivery trucks come in to drop off stock. Walking up the alley, scanning, I scanned every crack and fracture in the road and there at the end of the alley laying near the side of the wall was a small black hair tie. Picking it up, it had a single strand of blonde hair entwined in it. Quickly turning back towards Nick, I said: “She came up this way.” Jogging back to the store, the manager I had spoken with was standing next to a short older woman wearing the Safeway uniform. The manager gestured towards her. “This is Louise, she works out the back here, she said she saw a man taking a woman out the back.” Calming my breathing, I asked Louise, “Did you see what they looked like?”

  “Yes sir, the woman was a slim, blonde woman.”

  “And the man that she was with?” I asked her hastily.

  “He was a big white guy with a bald head.” She said holding up her hand to indicate that he was about 6 foot in height.

  “Do you remember what he was wearing Louise?”