Randle’s Princess
By
Melissa Gaye Perez
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
This book is a work of fiction and the names, characters, incidents and/or dialogue are products of the author's imagination. They are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, places or people living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Melissa Gaye Perez.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission by the author or publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
"Randle's Princess" is a suspense/thriller full of murder, lies and deceit. The powerful Randle Malcolm is a handsome and rich Texas Attorney who also leads a deep dark secret life. Lia Harton finds herself unwillingly drawn into Randle's frightening secret life at a very young age and tries desperately to escape it, but after all her attempts seem to fail she finds herself a branded woman only to be hunted by his enemies wanting to use her for revenge. Then her beloved Thomas comes along but will he be able to save her from what Randle insists is her destiny? This novel takes numerous twists and turns that will keep you on edge and an ending you will not soon forget.
Other Books by Melissa Gaye Perez:
“Shadow of Doubt”
A comical and enlightening romance that will make you laugh as you follow the adventures of Jordan Scott and his new love simply known to him as Dolly.
Chapter 1
It was a beautiful spring morning of March in the Dallas Suburbs. Twenty-three year old Lia Harton was out taking an early morning jog along the sidewalk of the tree filled street that ran just out front of their sprawling tudor style mansion. Wearing her snugly fit denim shorts and navy muscle shirt with the earphones from her iPod that was strapped around her waste hanging from her neck, she was enjoying the sounds of the birds chirping from the trees, an occasional locust screeching and the feel of this cool morning breeze as her auburn waist length pony tail flowed behind her. Definitely nature at it’s best.
She knew she wasn’t supposed to be out alone but Jeffery, the man assigned as her personal security guard, wasn’t yet awake when she was ready to go so she left without him. Randle would be angry she knew…but Lia had learned over the years that she could charm him with her gleaming hazel eyes and soon calm his rage.
Taking a deep breath of fresh air and slowly letting it out as she jogged, Lia remembered the day she came to meet him. Her parents had just been killed when their private jet crashed on their way home from a weekend getaway. She was only ten years old when the accident happened and was deeply devastated after the loss of the two people she loved the most in this world. She was their only child and couldn’t imagine life without Mom and Dad.
Jen and Levi Harton were millionaires by their own right being the owners of an oil company they had built together from the ground up here in Dallas as well. Randle’s father Joseph was their personal and business attorney as well as Lia’s Godfather and a close friend of her parents. He made sure he gained total guardianship of her immediately following the funeral and brought her here to live with him and his son Randle whom is ten years her senior.
“Now that’s a pretty little princess,” Randle had proclaimed as soon as he laid eyes on her, reaching out to stroke the top of her head with his large firm hand, but did it ever so gently. His tall and firm body with those broad shoulders and perfectly styled dark brown hair gave him the appearance of someone with great self confidence. She only gazed up at him shyly, but knew she could trust him because Joseph had already told her all about his son and her new home during their ride there.
“This child is now a member of this family and I expect her to be treated as such,” Joseph demanded sternly.
Randle’s powerful blue eyes gazed from her to his father. “I’d have it no other way,” he agreed with sincerity.
Then he reached out a welcoming hand. “C’mon little one I’ll show you around the place.”
Joseph was a sweet and loving man. Always so gentle when he spoke and treated Lia as if she were his blood daughter. Joseph Malcolm was a very prominent attorney in Dallas and owned a huge well respected law firm downtown. Randle was still in law school but worked for his father as well and was on his way to being just as successful of an attorney.
Joseph took Lia everywhere. They went to movies together, to plays, shopping and social events. He even took her to the museums and out to fancy restaurants to eat as if they were on a date. He told her he wanted to see to it that she was raised as the sophisticated little lady she was born to be. But also stressed that he wanted to teach her to be responsible and brave so she could take care of herself when the time came for her to leave him and move out on her own.
Lia adored Randle too, but could never see him as a brother figure. He was more demanding and possessive than Joseph, more protective and sometimes he actually scared her. Although he had never harmed her sometimes she had an uncanny feeling he was perfectly capable of it.
Randle too would spend time alone with her. Only he didn’t treat her quite the way Joseph did. Actually he spoiled her more especially after she finally reached her teenage years. He would buy her lavish gifts of jewelry, diamonds, emeralds, he really didn’t care. The clothes he purchased for her were more expensive and glitzy. Lia didn’t mind at all but sometimes it made here feel a bit uncomfortable. Sometimes she would find herself hiding the jewels from Joseph’s sight.
She was also wary of the people Randle associated with. Men in business suits wearing dark sunglasses as if to keep you from knowing where their eyes were looking. And she knew full well they were always armed. And so was Randle, keeping his shiny revolver in a black leather holster strapped over his left shoulder hidden under his jacket. He didn’t try to hide that fact from her though. When he would return home from the downtown office and work in his office at the house he wasn’t shy about removing his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack fully exposing his weapon. Lia always feared he was keeping deep dark secrets that she surely knew Joseph wouldn’t approve of.
Joseph had taken over Lia’s trust fund as well after her parent’s death. He thought it best to sell the oil company, their old family home and all assets and put the funds away for Lia’s future. A trust she was entitled to control entirely herself once she turned twenty-five.
But then when Lia was only fifteen she was totally devastated when tragedy struck again with the untimely death of Joseph. He had a massive heart attack and it was she that was with him when it happened. They were having breakfast together in the formal dining area that morning. Betsy, the head cook was there with them serving their food. A sweet little lady with a plump body and graying hair always pulled up in a bun wearing her black dress and white laced apron. Everything seemed fine as they laughed and ate together. But then Joseph announced he had best get to his downtown office then he rose to leave his chair only to stoop over and grab his chest. He was clearly in pain.
You could hear the loud clang as Lia dropped her fork to her plate and ran to his side throwing her arms around his neck. “What’s wrong Joseph? Do you need me to call the doctor?”
“No my child. I’m okay. Just a little heartburn I do believe,” he grunted out.
“Well okay,” Lia replied with uncertainty as she returned to her seat.
He again tried to straighten to a standing position. “Ohhh, no!” he then professed as he fell back to his chair, his pleading eyes turning slowly to look at her.
Lia
now had tears streaking her face and was beginning to panic. “Joseph I’m calling 911!” she shrieked. He didn’t protest, didn’t respond at all. His eyes never moved again, just stared steadily.
Betsy screamed, “I’ll call Mr. Randle! He just left for the office, he can’t be far,” as she fled the room.
Lia grabbed her cell phone from the table and dialed for help. The ambulance arrived approximately ten minutes later, but they were too late. Joseph had died right there, his eyes still staring in the direction of Lia’s now empty chair.
The paramedics had tried their best anyway. They had quickly moved his body onto the floor and tried for several minutes to revive him. Lia watched nervously as one man pumped his chest fiercely and the other ran a plastic tube down his throat and began slowly pumping the rubber bubble looking thing on the end of it trying to make him breathe she knew. She couldn’t tell if any of it was doing any good or not. She couldn’t move from the spot she was standing, just watched fearfully with her hazel eyes wide open in disbelief and praying silently in her head that he too wouldn’t leave her as suddenly as her parents had just five years prior.
Randle finally made it back to the house. His tall body came running into the room and he reached out to pull Lia away from the crowd so he could speak with the paramedics and find out for himself what was taking place.
“What happened?” he began. “Is he okay? Is he breathing?” Randle always had nothing but great respect for his father. Lia could tell his concern was genuine.
Then she saw as both men stopped their work as suddenly as they had began. Then the first paramedic removed the plastic tubing from Joseph’s mouth, the other stopped the heart palpitations then both of them came to stand just in front of Randle. She listened as one of them gave Randle the fatal news.
“We are very sorry Mr. Malcolm. There’s nothing else we can do. He’s gone.”
Randle took a deep breath first hanging his head low as if he himself was saying a silent prayer then he turned in her direction, staring lovingly into her trickling hazel eyes, seeing her hands pressed over her mouth in disbelief. He knew how much she had adored Joseph and along with his own pain he could feel her devastation as well.
“It’s gonna be okay Princess,” he assured her as he walked over and pulled her head to his chest with his strong comforting arms. “You know I’ll always take care of you. I will never let harm come to you. He is at peace now. He feels no pain.”
“He can’t leave me too Randle! He just can’t,” she sobbed out from against his chest. “What will I do without him?”
“I told you Princess,” he whispered in her ear. “I will always be here for you.”
She felt his arms tighten around her back, squeezing her against his firm body. Lia knew he meant it. But what was life going to be like without her precious Joseph.
The funeral was huge she remembered. Joseph was a very well known and respected man in the community. As they rode in Randle’s personal black limousine from the church to the cemetery Lia now felt as if she had become the property of Randle Malcolm. And his domineering personality had come to light as well. He quickly took over everything including Joseph’s law firm and that day was one of the last that he ever called her Lia other than when he was angry at her. It was that day that she became Randle’s Princess and nothing else. He no longer treated her as a family member but as his prize possession instead.
The day after Joseph’s death is when he had assigned Jeffery as her personal security guard and he was ordered to go with her everywhere she went. He made it clear to her that she was no longer allowed to be alone at all other than when she was at home, free to roam the grounds outside as long she stayed inside the thick and tall stone fence that surrounded the entire property. He even pulled her from public school despite her protest and had her tutored at home until she attained her diploma.
They now sat in the front row under a huge tent set up at the cemetery where Joseph’s bronze casket was set up just ahead of them. With Randle seated next to her holding her hand for comfort, Lia listened to the kind words from the reverend and dabbed the tears from her face with her silk handkerchief. It was a military funeral for a man who had retired from the Marines so many years ago. As the taps began to play Lia cried louder. Randle secured his arm around her neck and tugged her head to his shoulder.
“I promise you Princess. You have nothing to fear. I will miss Joseph as much as you, but trust that I will always take care of you. I will never let harm come to you.” Then he kissed her forehead lightly, something he had done before but this time it was different. Lia felt a cool chill run through her knowing something had changed about his demeanor toward her.
But he had done it so sincerely Lia did feel a bit better. She looked up at him and tried to smile but couldn’t quite finish it. Instead she only stayed silent, unable to speak a single word.
Lia could now see the massive stone gate just out front of their five acre estate with a smaller wrought iron foot gate just to the side of it that she used whenever she wanted to go out for a walk or run. It was a gorgeous Saturday morning with barely any traffic on the main road as she was making her way to it.
“Well, guess I’ll have to face him soon,” she now thought as she neared closer knowing surely Randle would be angrily waiting for her in the house, waiting to tear into her for going out alone. Stopping to open the gate so she could enter she saw the figure of someone come from around the side of the fence out of the corner of her eye. So suddenly it startled her and she pushed the gate open with haste as fast as she could and started running through it. But she was too late and felt a strong hand grab the back of her pony tail trying to pull her back out into the street. She fell to her back instead landing hard on the ground. She quickly rolled to her stomach and began slapping wildly at his arms.
“Let go of me!” she screeched out.
She screamed out as loudly as she could and had luckily alerted one of the security guards who instantly ran in her direction and took cover behind a huge oak tree, his gun pulled, aiming and ready to fire. The man that had ahold of her too raised his right arm and aimed his silenced revolver at the security guard she now recognized as Jeffery, then she could hear the muzzled pops as shots began to be fired. Her body fell to the ground finally breaking free from this man’s grasp. She crawled on all fours as fast as she could gasping with fear as she made her way to the inside corner of the wall and crouched down on top of her knees putting her hands over the back of her head for protection.
A stray bullet hit the fence just above her head. A cloud of white powder burst from the stone as the bullet struck and flew through the air and she could feel a gritty like substance land all over her and entangle in her hair. She wasn’t sure whose bullet it was or if it was intentional, but didn’t care. All she wanted was to be out of here and back into the safety of the house.
“Princess! Stay down!” she then heard being yelled out from the direction of the house. Randle’s demanding voice she recognized and knowing that he too was now outside, but she couldn’t see him. She was too afraid to raise her head.
She obeyed his demand hearing two more shots and finally got the nerve to peek up just enough to watch the stranger who had grabbed her fall to the ground just feet in front of her, his leg wounded and bloody. He rose and ran with a limp back out onto the street and then she could hear the squealing of a car spinning out only seconds later.
Another hand now grabbed her arm. She gasped with fright and jumped, her back hitting the fence as she came to a sitting position. For the first time she was actually relieved to see Randle’s angry face leering back at her. She didn’t care what the repercussion. She was only relieved that this situation was over with and she was still alive.
“Are you okay Princess? Are you hurt?” he asked first while he placed his weapon back into its holster. She knew as soon as he realized she was unharmed the outrage was next to come.
Suddenly Lia jumped to a sitting position after
hearing a loud banging noise as if someone were beating against wood. She now sat up in her queen sized heavy wooden bed still panting with sweat running down her face. She looked around the room and shook her head.
“Darn dream,” she scolded to herself as she realized Randle was knocking harshly at her bedroom door and yelling out to her.
“Princess! Are you in there? Open this damn door!”
Wearing only her bra and panties she jumped from the bed with bare feet and put on her white satin robe and rushed to the door.
“I’m coming!”
She turned the bolt lock and reached for the knob but Randle was already pushing it in. He entered the room and flipped on the light switch just inside the doorway. He looked ever so handsome now wearing a formal navy blue suit and tie with a white dress shirt neatly tucked in and she could smell his sweet cologne even from a distance. Obviously he was dressed for a very special occasion.
“What took you so long? And why aren’t you dressed yet? You’re gonna be late for your own party?” His eyes scanned her slim satin covered body and bare legs as he spoke.
Today was Lia’s twenty-fourth birthday and Randle had planned a lavish party for her here at the house in the huge ballroom just downstairs below her bedroom. Randle used any excuse to host a gathering with his friends and business partners. He said it was good for his image and helped build trust and respect.
Lia quickly turned to glance at the clock on the night stand beside her bed. “I have an hour yet,” she assured him. “I fell asleep. Good thing you woke me up. I just have to take a quick shower and I’ll be ready in plenty of time.”
“You had better be,” he warned sternly. “I’ll be back up to get you in about forty five minutes.”
“I’ll be ready,” she reassured.
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