Read Billionaire On Fire: The Complete Series (A Bad Boy Alpha Billionaire Romance) Online
Authors: Claire Adams
CHAPTER
FIVE
After
the doctor treated Danny and lectured him
about proper cooking techniques, we loaded him back into the truck and returned
to the fire station. Danny would be out of commission for a few days, but he'd
be all right.
"Newsome is kind of an
idiot," Victor said as he stood at the counter watching me finish
preparing dinner. I'd volunteered to do it alone since we'd already fixed
everything but the noodles.
"Shut up, Vangel,"
I said as I put two pots of water on to boil. "Everyone makes
mistakes."
"Yeah, but frying meat
without a shirt?" he laughed. "That ranks up there with ironing while
naked and mowing the lawn without shoes."
"Like I said, shut the
hell up, Vangel," I repeated as I felt my blood pressure start to rise.
This guy pissed me off like no one else, but I knew that I had to keep my anger
under control or I was going to get suspended.
"But you're not an
idiot, are you Connor?" he said with a sleazy grin. "You are totally
on the up and up. A wise guy, maybe."
"I'm not sure what
you're trying to get at, but whatever it is, you're not going to bait me,"
I said as I added salt to both pots and put the lids on. I went to the cupboard
and pulled out two boxes of spaghetti noodles, and as I did, I made myself
breathe deeply to slow down my racing pulse. I wanted nothing more than to
punch Vangel, and he wanted nothing more than to goad me into doing it.
"What I'm getting at is
that you're the man," he said still grinning that idiot grin of his.
"You've got it all going on."
"Either say what you're
going to say, or once again, I will invite you to shut the fuck up," I
said through gritted teeth.
"Never mind,"
Vangel said as he slid off the stool and walked toward the common room.
"It doesn't matter right now."
I shook my head at his
attempt at intimidation and went back to prepping dinner. As I did, my thoughts
wandered back to the woman in the ER who'd treated my minor burns. She had
reminded me of a young fawn; her blue eyes had been wary and watchful, but
she'd definitely wanted to get closer. Or at least she had until I screwed it
up by feeding her a stupid line. I shook my head as I recalled the way she'd
abruptly pulled back and closed down when I'd acted like a smooth talking
idiot.
Alex Pierce. I wanted to find
out more about her, to get to know her better. But as soon as the desire became
real, the guilt kicked in and I did what I had done for the past ten years
every time I'd found myself interested in a woman: I shut it down and reminded
myself that I had a full life and that it was disloyal and unfair to want more.
I ran a hand through my hair
as I bent over the sink. I was sick of feeling guilty about something I
couldn't change. And I was sick of living so entirely alone because of it. I
decided to talk to Leo about it in the morning when I went to visit him. Maybe
he'd have a work around that would give me a chance to shed the guilt and start
to live again.
I could only hope.
CHAPTER
SIX
I
didn't get a chance to talk with Liz after my
shift, so it wasn't until the next morning that we talked over breakfast.
"So, what's up with the
firefighter?" Liz asked as she dug into a plate of pancakes. I watched her
as she cut them into a plateful of bite-sized pieces and then, one by one,
shoved them in her mouth. Liz could, and would, eat just about anything, and I
was envious.
"I don't know," I
shrugged as I stuck a spoon into my healthy bowl of oatmeal and fruit. "He
said I was pretty, but I think it was just a come on line."
"Did you ask?" Liz
said with her mouth full of pancakes. "I mean, he could have been telling
the truth. You are pretty, you know."
"Give me a break,"
I said rolling my eyes as I stirred my oatmeal. "I'm not ugly, but I'm
certainly a long way from pretty."
"We really need to work
on your confidence, Pierce," Liz said as she stuffed half a slice of bacon
in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Let's go shopping after classes
today."
"We have big exams
coming up, Liz," I reminded her. "I can't afford to fail. I need to
study."
"One afternoon of
shopping for some cute things to brighten your look is not going to cost you
your entire education," Liz said rolling her eyes. "We'll head down
to State Street and hit three stores, then we'll go back to the library and
study. How's that for a compromise?"
"Fine," I sighed
turning my attention toward the day's lesson. "Did you finish the reading
for today's anatomy lecture?"
"More skin?" Liz
asked as she pulled out her book and began flipping through it as she shoveled
the last of her breakfast into her mouth. “Ah yes, I’m familiar with it.”
"Liz, you can't keep
doing this," I sighed again and shook my head. The problem was that she
could: Liz had a photographic memory and could remember everything she'd ever
seen, even if she'd only seen it once. It drove me crazy that she didn't have
to study as hard as I did in order to retain the material, and even crazier to
watch her squander her talent as she dabbled in everything from standup comedy to
graffiti art.
"Eh, it'll be
fine," she shrugged. "I'm like a cat. I always land on my feet, you
know?"
I crossed my fingers under
the table and hoped that was true as I tried to push the images of Cam Connor's
unruly auburn curls and broad chest out of my mind so I could focus on my
studies.
It was easier said than done.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
After
I'd finished my shift at the station, I drove
home, walked Tesla, then showered, changed and headed over to see Leo. I was
not looking forward to this meeting, but I knew that steering clear of it
wasn't an option.
What I really wanted to be
doing was driving back over to Chicago General and seeing if Alex Pierce was on
duty. I hadn't been able to get her curvy figure out of my head for the
duration of my shift. I cursed myself for not getting her number, but it hadn’t
seemed like the best thing to do after she’d nailed me for using a pick up line,
so keeping a safe distance had seemed like the smarter choice. Even if the
choice meant I didn’t know how to contact Alex.
"Sometimes we have to do
what we don't want to do; isn't that right, girl?" I said to Tesla as I
stood at the counter finishing my breakfast. She looked up at me and thumped
her tail on the marble floor, hoping that I'd toss her a bit of the bacon I'd
made to go with my eggs.
"All right, fine,"
I said as I tossed a piece in the air and watched as she gracefully leapt up
and caught it in her open mouth. She chewed it quickly and then sat back down
waiting for more. I laughed, "Nope, that's it. No more."
Tesla wagged her tail a few
times and, when it became obvious that I meant what I'd said, she sighed loudly
and dropped to the floor resting her chin between her paws as she gave me a
mournful look. I smiled as I shook my head then went back to scanning the
headlines on the iPad I kept in the kitchen.
"It looks like we've got
the usual mash up of things going on in the city, girl," I said as I read
the headlines out loud to her. "I see that the Mayor is pushing a new
education program, the Governor is trying to cut the budget down to a
manageable level, and the South Side is still going to hell in a hand basket.
Looks like business as usual!"
I set my dishes in the sink,
pulled on my coat, grabbed my keys and sunglasses, and headed out to meet with
Leo. The office was down in the Loop, which usually meant not being able to
find a parking spot, but we'd contracted with a local valet service at one of
the restaurants and they'd agreed to let us use two spots for Chicago Security
Corporation when we needed it, so I was able to park and get up to the
fourteenth floor quickly.
"Mr. Connor," Becky
said surprised to see me. "Was Mr. Marini expecting you this
morning?"
"I certainly hope
so," I smiled. "He sent me a message yesterday requesting a
meeting."
"Will you be in your
office, sir?" she asked as she picked up the phone and dialed Leo's
extension.
"Nah, I'll just head
back to Leo's office and see what he wants," I said as I headed down the
hallway. I could hear her telling Leo I was on my way in a hushed whisper.
"So, what's up with this
contract, Leo?" I said as I pushed his office door open and entered.
Inside, I found a somewhat flustered Leo buttoning his shirt as a lovely young
woman folded up a massage table.
"I thought you'd call
first," he said as I gave him the once over. "I didn't know you'd be
this early."
"Yeah, well, my shift is
over at eight and I headed right over because you said it was important,"
I said with an amused grin. Dropping my voice I said, "Barn door's open.
Close her up, friend."
"Will you be needing me
to come back on Friday, Mr. Marini," the girl asked as she stood at the
door. She was an exotic beauty with large breasts and shiny black hair, and I
had little doubt that she was providing my friend with more than just a Swedish
massage.
"Uh, yeah, that would be
good, Misty," he said after zipping his pants. "Becky will give you a
check for today. Stop by the front desk and pick it up."
"Thank you, Mr.
Marini," she smiled before closing the door behind her.
"Jesus, Leo, what the
hell are you doing?" I asked.
"Hey, look, I don't have
time for dating and I have needs, my friend," he smiled as he regained
control of the conversation. "It's just easier this way. No fuss, no
muss."
"I do not understand
you," I said shaking my head.
"Yeah, well, if you'd
let go of our Puritan ideals, you might," he said in a tone that was only
mildly irritated. "Sorry, that wasn't fair. I just think you need to get
out there and experience something other than work for a change. It's been a
long time, Cam."
"You wanted to talk to
me about business?" I said cutting off the trip down a path that I didn't
want to travel. Leo looked at me and shook his head before grabbing a stack of
papers off of the desk and handing half to me.
"We've been asked to
provide security for the next election cycle," Leo said. "It's a huge
contract with multiple candidates and their families."
"You know how I feel
about this, Leo," I said reading the top page and shaking my head. "I
don't want to get CSC involved in any contracts that will expose my involvement
in the company. The answer is no. Anything else?"
"You can't just waltz in
here and say no without actually discussing this," Leo protested.
"Actually, I can,"
I replied. "I own the majority stock and I have the deciding vote. You
knew that when you accepted the position as public CEO."
"This isn't fair,"
Leo said quietly. "I've been doing everything you ask of me and I've run
this company at a profit for the past eight years. Everything I've done has
improved the standing of this company, and I've grown the business by more than
one hundred percent since you started it."
"Leo, we discussed this
at length when you agreed to accept the position," I said as I ran my hand
through my hair. "I don't want any publicity. CSC is a private security
firm that offers high-level protection services for people who want to stay out
of the spotlight. We do not get involved in political campaigns or self-serving
celebrity issues; we fly under the radar and we get the job done."
"But this is an
opportunity to join the big league, Cam!" Leo pleaded. "We're
incredibly good at what we do and we are recognized as being top in the field.
Shouldn't we be able to capitalize on that reputation and increase our client
base?"
"Not if it involves
Chicago-based candidates," I said shaking my head. "I do not want
people digging into our business and uncovering the fact that I own controlling
interest in a multi-billion dollar security firm. I want to keep working for
the fire department without being hassled by every Tom, Dick and Harry who
wants to write a story on the poor firefighter who turned tragedy into triumph.
I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime, thank you very much."
"You're so
selfish," Leo muttered. "It's always about you, isn't it?"
"What do you mean? You
agreed to this deal!" I said feeling defensive about his attack. "I
didn't beg you to take the job; you offered to do it. I told you what the terms
would be and you agreed!"
"Yes, I agreed -- EIGHT
YEARS AGO!" Leo shouted. "Everything was different back then. We were
different back then. I didn't know I'd be so good at this job, and I didn't
realize that there was a potential for growth in the way it's come about. You
can't blame me for wanting more, Cam."
"I don't blame you a
bit," I sighed as I looked at my best friend. "I just don't want to
have my life on parade again. Once was enough, Leo. I can't go back
there."
"I know," he said
sinking down into his chair and resting his head in his hands. "I know. I
just..."
I looked at Leo knowing how
difficult it must have been for him to ask this of me. We'd been friends since
grade school, and he'd been the one who'd watched me struggle to keep things
together as my mother wasted away from the drinking. He'd been with me at
graduation and he'd stood next to me at my mother's funeral when no one -- not
even her own family -- had shown up. And Leo had been the one who'd gotten
drunk with me the night the fire changed my entire life and then looked out for
me in the hard months after that night.
I knew he was trying to do
what was best for the business, but I couldn't let the business interfere with
the life I'd carefully constructed to keep everything at bay. I'd started the
security firm as a way to distract myself while I was on leave from the fire
department, but it had grown faster than I could manage alone, and when my
leave was over, I found that there was no way I could manage the security
business while also working full-time for the department.
Leo was between consulting
jobs as he finished his MBA and looked for a position that would give him an
opportunity to demonstrate his knowledge. It was the perfect fit, and after
we'd agreed upon a couple of rules that would govern the company, I'd handed
over the reins to him.
"Alright, let's talk
about this," I sighed as I sat down and looked up at him. "How can we
manage this without putting my name in the papers?"
"Make me an equal
partner in the business and I'll take all the heat," Leo said in a way
that made me realize he'd been thinking about this for a lot longer than the
last few days. "Either that or we can hope for a political scandal that
will occupy the headlines for months."
"Well, the latter might
not be so far off," I laughed. "It is Chicago, after all."
"C'mon, Cam," Leo
said in a serious tone. "You know I'm not going to run off with the
business or run it into the ground. You can trust me."
"I know, I know," I
said, running my hand through my hair and suddenly feeling very tired. "It
was never about that. It was..."
"The business was your
baby," he finished. "It was what you turned to after Quinn was gone.
I get it, Cam, but letting go of a little portion of it isn't going to mean
that you've let go of her completely. We're in this together. This business can
be so much more, but you've got to let go of the tight control."
"I know," I sighed.
"I just feel like everything is changing so fast and I don't know what to
do, Leo."
"What else is going
on?" he asked.
"Nothing, it's
just..." I began and then trailed off as I looked away not knowing how to
finish the sentence. When I looked back up at him, I took a deep breath and
said, "Fine, let's split it fifty-fifty and see how that goes. You take
all the public heat, got it?"
"Happy to oblige,"
he grinned.
"But for God's sake, get
yourself a girlfriend," I said shaking my head. "The last thing you
need is a scandal based on your love of exotic massage girls."
"Hey, it works for
me," he shrugged. "And I'm single; I don't see the problem!"
"Dammit, Leo," I growled.
"If you're going to be the face of the company, then you have to act like
a professional! I don't care if you hire the girl who just left here to play
your girlfriend, just do something so that you don't get caught with your pants
down and have to expose me in the process!"
"I got it, I got
it," he said holding up a hand to ward off my tirade. "I'll take care
of it."
"Good, and get the
lawyers to draw up the paperwork," I said. "I'll swing back around
early next week and sign everything."
"Cam, are you sure
you're okay?" Leo asked quietly. "Is there anything I can do to
help?"
"I'm fine," I said
shaking my head. "I'm just tired and feeling a little out of sorts. Maybe
I'll take Tesla for a run and see if I can't shake it."
"Maybe you need to find
someone to talk to, Cam," Leo gently pushed. "You know, there's
nothing wrong with that."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah,"
I said as I stood up and walked to the door. I opened it and then turned
around, "Thanks, Leo. For everything."
"No sweat," he said
waving me off. "That's what friends are for, man."
I nodded before heading out
to my car wondering if I was making the right decision and, for the first time
in a long time, feeling like taking a chance or two.