Dirty Boss

by Mia Ford

  The partition rolled down and I could see the back of the limousine driver. “I haven’t seen you in a few days, Mr. Williams. I was wondering when you were ever going to come out of there.” His words were cold and calculating like he was out of time and out of patience.

  “I hope that I didn’t cause you any reason to be alarmed. Your job is safe for however long you want it. You have been with me a long time and I know how important your family is to you.” The driver was looking at him in the rearview mirror and there was a case to be made for the kind of hatred he was staring at him with.

  “You know nothing about my family. I listened to you and I lost everything. My wife left me with the children in tow. I was destitute with the investment you shared with me tanking. I didn’t really blame you and I knew investments were tricky with variables you can’t account for. It was my own fault, but then I learned a disturbing fact.” Spittle was flying from his mouth and he was gripping the steering wheel with his gloved hands like he was an Indy driver.

  “I don’t know how many times I have to apologize. It was out of my hands. I thought it was a lock, but it turned out to be something less than secure. You’re not the only one that lost his shirt in that deal. I’ve tried to make it up to you with bonuses and I thought we got passed it.” Something had happened to make this guy act out.

  “It never bothered me when you didn’t even know my name. We’ve talked often enough, but you never really wanted to know my personal life. I could’ve lived with my mistake, but finding it was a pyramid scheme is not something I can look past. You purposely swindled millions of dollars out of investors with a mutual fund built on a house of cards.” I looked at Knight and I could tell that he was complicit. He didn’t think anybody was going to find out. He was trying to make up for it by throwing money at the problem.

  “I’m sure there’s something I can do. Name your price.” The limousine lurched with him pressing down on the accelerator and flying through a red light with many honking horns to indicate he was driving erratically.

  “It’s just like you to think that money solves all your problems. Money is not going to bring me, my wife, back or prevent my children from looking at me with disappointment in their eyes. I’m going to hell and I’m taking you with me.” He took the mirror off of a nearby parked car. He was staring straight ahead like he had a purpose.

  “I know that I’m going to regret asking this, but what exactly are your intentions?” My words were met with a scowl of contempt.

  “I would suggest you both make peace with your maker. I have nothing left to live for. The only thing I want is revenge. It’s said to be best-served ice cold which is exactly how I’m going to settle my differences with Mr. Williams. He wants to play with people’s lives then he’s going to learn a valuable lesson which I hope he’ll understand before he takes his last breath.” I went for the door, but it was locked. I kicked my foot against the window with nothing to indicate any kind of brute force was going to work. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea anyway. Rolling away from this car at this speed would’ve been tantamount to suicide.

  “I can apologize until I’m blue in the face, but it’s not going to make any difference to you. Are you sure you want to die like this? I would like you to consider another option. Money may not bring back your family, but it could give you a new lease on life. You can start over with beautiful girls and tropical drinks. You won’t have to drive me around anymore. You would have enough money to live on for the rest of your life. You can’t possibly tell me there’s no appeal in breaking the chain of monotony.” I could see that his pleas were falling on deaf ears.

  “My life has been shattered because of your need for greed. I can’t in good conscience allow you to do this to somebody else again. I’ve been watching your dirty dealings. You framed an innocent man for the pyramid scheme and paid him a considerable amount to keep his mouth shut behind bars. You found some patsy willing to take your money, but I’m not one of them.” We were on the highway and in the distance, I could see a bridge. I knew at that instant what his plan was and I couldn’t let him see it through.

  I made a quick decision by leaping through the partition. I knocked him completely out cold with the butt end of my gun. I had the steering wheel, but his foot was still pushed down onto the accelerator. I scanned the area and the only thing that I could think about was stopping us before we reached the bridge closed for repairs.

  I saw my only option. I turned the steering wheel, slamming into a road sign with enough force to bend it and lift the car into the air with the wheels spinning with no place to go. I felt like a pinball with my legs up in the air landing on the dashboard and looking down to see that I was bleeding all over again.

  We were both going to have to testify against Reginald Davidson. He was screaming for blood and the investigators had to take some of what he said seriously. They were looking for the smoking gun concerning the pyramid scheme but nothing landed at his doorstep. Knight promised me he had changed and I believed him.

  I did continue to fight, but not for the money and more for the enjoyment of the adrenaline rush running through my veins. I toppled the queen.

  Knight proposed and I found myself looking at the big screen as he popped the question with a diamond almost as big as my fist. I was looking forward to spending my life with the man I loved and with the child I had on the way.

  I was just going to have to make sure he was not tempted to fall into old habits. I was just going to have to keep him busy. I wondered what other kinky perversions I could introduce him to. I had a laundry list and I had just begun.

  Billionaire’s Nanny Romance Series

  THE BILLIONAIRE’S NANNY (PART 1)

  Blurb

  Veronica Lawrence is a simple babysitter, who is content with her life with her boyfriend, Calvin. She has everything she could ever dream of and more- or so she thought. Without her knowledge Calvin sets her up with an interview for a job with the richest lawyer in the city, Frank Davenport, who Veronica discovers is incredibly attractive and alluring, almost to the point of distraction. She surprises both Calvin and herself by actually landing the job. There is a catch, though. If she wants to take the job, she must agree to move onto his large estate.

  While Calvin is reluctant, Veronica decides to take the job, and she finds herself surrounded by opulence and riches. Little did she know, though, that her employer would be quite so impossible to resist.

  Veronica heaved a sigh, readjusting the strap of her purse as she walked down the sidewalk. She had just finished up a babysitting job for one of the neighbors in her community. She had started doing as a quick way to make money in high school, and she had loved it so much then that she decided that was what she wanted to do for a living. Even as she earned her business degree, she had used babysitting as a way to get her through school.

  Even after she graduated, she had very little interest in picking up a job in the realm of business. Now that she was no longer in school, she had more time to devote to taking care of kids. In fact, in a way, that was sort of like a business in and of itself, and she ran it very efficiently. It didn’t bring in as much money as it could have, because often times the people she babysat for couldn’t pay as much as they had originally thought.

  While Veronica, too, needed the money, she couldn’t bring herself to demand money from people when she could clearly see they were just trying to get by and support their children. Veronica cut a lot people slack, and as a result she often had to live a lean life, but she didn’t mind it.

  That is, until she met her boyfriend, Calvin.

  Calvin was a young social climber, fresh out of law school. He frequented the same coffee shop that Veronica went to, and had taken a liking to her. Veronica had been interested in him as well, on account of his ambition and the fact that he was more than a little attractive. She could hardly resist flirting when he approached to talk with her one afternoon.

  It didn’t take long for them to sta
rt dating, and for a while Veronica was fairly happy with their relationship. They made plans for their future together, and Veronica could easily picture herself spending the rest of her life at his side, maybe even having some kids and buying a house. It only seemed natural when Calvin suggested that they get an apartment together and start making a life with each other.

  Veronica’s parents couldn’t; have been more thrilled for her. They loved Calvin, as he was a respectable young man who was steadily moving up in his career, and they knew he would provide stability in Veronica’s life. Veronica was glad they were both so supportive of her relationship with him, and she was eager to see where the future would take them.

  At some point, though, after they had spent about a year and a half together in, Calvin began to voice his true opinions about her line of work. Even now, as she headed home to their apartment, she felt a tension creep into her shoulders as she wondered what he would say when she told him she was short on money again.

  Calvin had a good job at a law firm, so money wasn’t an issue for him. Even so, she could tell it bothered him that she didn’t have what he considered a “real job”. He often tried to pressure her into looking for a job somewhere at an office, or at least to collect the correct amount of money for her services.

  Veronica could only prepare her usual list of responses and pick the most appropriate one for whatever argument he chose to employ.

  Veronica finally made it to their apartment building, and she rode the elevator up to her floor. She then made her way to the door of her apartment and unlocked it. She stepped inside silently, looking around and carefully listening to see if Calvin was home.

  Veronica didn’t see or hear anything, so she heaved a small sigh of relief, turning to shut the door behind her. She placed her small bag on the hall tree just beside the door, and moved into the kitchen, taking a glass from out of the cabinet and filling it up with water from the sink.

  Calvin hated when she did this, as he said the water from the fridge was more filtered. Veronica had been drinking water from the time she could even drink water at all, and it was a force of habit that compelled her to do so even in adulthood. She sipped at it slowly, letting it refresh her.

  When she had consumed all the liquid, she washed the glass and put it back in the cabinet. Another thing that Calvin hated was leaving unwashed dishes in the sink, so she didn’t want to give him any more of an excuse to be irritated when he got home.

  With that done, Veronica decided to go ahead and start dinner. She knew Calvin would be wanting to eat at around seven, and she knew it would take a couple of hours to get it all ready. So, Veronica changed into a set of comfortable yoga pants and a tank top and began the process of making their dinner.

  As she expected, Calvin came home around six. The door unlocked, and Veronica looked up as he stepped through the frame and shut the door behind him, offering him a smile.

  “Hey,” Calvin greeted her, moving over to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

  “Hey,” she replied as he set his things down by the hall tree. “How was your day?”

  “Pretty good,” he answered. “Same story different day, as usual.”

  Veronica nodded, looking down into the food she was cooking.

  “What about you?” Calvin asked, moving to lean against the counter beside the stove and cross his arms over his chest.

  “It was good,” she answered simply.

  “Who were the kids today?” he asked, and Veronica tensed, knowing that he was setting her up for another set of inquiries.

  “Toby and Alec,” she answered calmly, though she saw Calvin shake his head a little, pinching the bridge of his nose between this thumb and forefinger.

  “Should I even ask?” he bit out, and Veronica let out a sigh, shaking her head and turning to face him.

  “I don’t know what you want me to say,” Veronica answered calmly. “Every time you ask, the answer is the same.”

  Calvin clenched his jaw and shook his head.

  “That’s exactly what I thought you were going to say,” he sighed.

  “Then why are we even having this conversation?” Veronica shook her head and returned her attention to the food on the stove.

  “Look,” Calvin sighed, his voice calmer. Veronica felt him place a hand on her shoulder, and she turned once more to look at him.

  “There’s something I want to talk to you about, but I need to get showered and changed first,” he said slowly. “Can we talk about it over dinner?”

  Veronica felt a twist of anxiety in her stomach, and she wondered how on earth this conversation was going to go. Still, she knew they would have to talk about whatever it was at some point, and she may as well get it out of the way as soon as possible.

  “Okay, sure,” Veronica nodded.

  “Okay,” Calvin said. “I’ll be out in a little while.”

  Veronica watched out of the corner of her eye as he left the room, and she let out a puff of air once he was out of the room. She shook her head as she continued to cook. There was no point in worrying herself over whatever it was he had to say to her. All she could do was make dinner and be prepared to listen with an open mind.

  Within the next hour, Calvin had gotten out of the shower and dressed in a pair of athletic pants and a white t-shirt. He sat down at the table, and Veronica put down his plate in front of him, then assumed her usual place at their small table.

  Calvin picked up a fork, and Veronica followed suit. She had made them a meal of baked chicken and vegetables over a bed of rice. It was one of Calvin’s favorite meals, and she enjoyed as well. For a while, they ate, both of them appreciating the silence that spread between them.

  It couldn’t last, though, and at length, Calvin set down his fork and looked across the table at her. Veronica let out a soft sigh and put down her fork as well.

  “I know that you love what you do,” Calvin said. “I appreciate that you’re able to make any money at all with what you do.”

  Veronica listened silently, giving him a short nod at the conclusion of his statement.

  “But you have to admit that the way you do business is not a reliable way to make money,” he continued. “You can’t constantly be cutting people breaks, because then at the end of the day you suffer. I know at the end of the day, between the two of us, we have enough money to get by, and even to do well. But what if something ever happens to me? What would you do then?”

  Veronica worked very hard to keep from rolling her eyes.

  “We’ve been through all this Calvin,” Veronica said, keeping her tone level. “I’m not going to demand a full amount of money when I know good and well they can’t afford it. They’re barely staying on top of things as it is, and if I rake them over the coals too, their kids are going to suffer. If I lose a couple of bucks, I’ll be okay. Some people don’t have that luxury.”

  Veronica felt like this was an elementary concept, and she got annoyed every time she had to explain it to him. However, she could hardly blame him. He had grown up in a moderately well off middle class family, and he had really never wanted for much at any point in his life.

  Veronica, however, had not always been so lucky. Growing up, her family often had to go without food, or heat or water for extended periods of time. Veronica knew the true worth of money, and all material possessions. She was grateful for everything she had, and she knew better than to let things go to waste.

  She knew that the families she gave a break to really did need it, and that they were in situations just like the one she had been in. For her it was the least she could do, but for them, it definitely made a huge difference.

  It seemed that no matter how many times she tried to explain that, though, Calvin just couldn’t wrap his head around the concept.

  “Okay,” Calvin said, a look of surrender on his face. “I totally get your need to help people out, okay? I do. I just think that maybe you need to be thinking about yourself a little more.”

  Veronica w
anted to protest, but she knew it was pointless.

  “Whatever you say,” she sighed, just wanting the conversation to end at this point. She picked up her fork and took another few bites of her food.

  “Veronica,” Calvin said, and Veronica set down her fork again and looked back up at him.

  “Yes?” she replied, her voice sharp and quick.

  “I think I have a solution for you,” he said, and Veronica blinked in surprise.

  “A solution?” Veronica leaned forward a little, resting her forearms on the table. Calvin hated when she did that, too, but she was honestly at the point where she didn’t care.

  “Yes,” Calvin said, and a small smile began to form on his face. “You know my friend Jason at the firm?”

  Veronica thought for a moment, and finally remembered who the man was.

  “Yes,” she finally spoke up.

  “Okay,” Calvin’s eyes lit up a little. “He is an assistant to this big-time lawyer, a guy named Frank Davenport.”

  Veronica frowned a little, not quite sure where this narrative was headed.

  “Well as his assistant, Jason spends a lot of time with him,” Calvin went on. “And Jason tells me that Davenport is looking for a babysitter. A babysitter that he is willing to pay a good deal of money for their services.”

  Veronica’s eyebrows raised.

  “Is that so?” she asked speculatively.

  “Yes,” Calvin confirmed. “And I took the liberty of telling Jason to tell Davenport that I had a wonderful recommendation.”

  “Calvin,” Veronica frowned a little. “You shouldn’t have done that without even talking to me about it first.”

  “I know, I know,” Calvin reached across the table and took Veronica’s hand in his own. “I just got a little caught up in the moment. But tell me, what do you think about it?”

  Veronica thought for a moment, her eyebrows meeting in a frown. It really was a good opportunity. By making the money, she could afford to cut down prices for her other clients, and at the same time, appease Calvin. Maybe then they could be as happy as they were earlier in their relationship.