Stolen: A Bad Boy Romance (33 page)

Greyson

I sat down at the conference table and looked around at the group of men sitting there. All of them were my father’s lackeys. They all belonged in this room but I felt like the outsider. I almost never attended these meetings in person, no it was all over the phone. I put myself as far away from the business as possible, choosing to run the factory separately.

But I was here today for good reason.

“It looks like profits are up across the board in all sectors,” David said as he went through a chart on the overhead. He droned on and on about business, but I could only think about one thing.

Snapping his fucking neck.

It felt like all I was doing lately was going around warning people away from Joanna. But that was love, wasn’t it? I couldn’t tell anymore, I was so driven by anger at anyone that would threaten her. I didn’t think her uncle was one of those people, but I knew without a doubt that David was.

That’s why I’d made it a point to go into the office today, take a day away from the factory and put myself into as close a proximity as possible to him. I needed to speak to him. To let him know that I was on to him, and that under no uncertain terms would he continue to visit Joanna. He wouldn’t threaten her or I would kill him.

I was going to kill him anyway, but it wasn’t the time.

Not now that he was on my father’s good side. No, his death was going to be slow in coming, but it would be sweet. We had business to run in the meantime and dealings that were legitimate and illegal to oversee. I couldn’t compromise that for pride.

But I could tell him exactly what I was thinking.

“Can I see you in my office?” I asked him at the end of the meeting. I still, technically, outranked him, and when I wanted an audience I got one.

“Sure, what time?” The look in his eyes only served to further piss me off. It was like he knew something that I didn’t and he was teasing me. Flaunting it over me.

Did he know I knew about his little rendezvous with my woman? I’d heard about his meeting in the coffee shop with her. I had eyes and ears all over the place.

“Now.” I ordered, walking away. I had the suit, the pedigree, and the position. No one was going to get the best of me in my city.

Especially not my vile little half-brother.

“What is it?” He might as well have added “dick” at the end of the sentence because that was exactly how he said it.

“I think you know what this is about.”

“Your absenteeism?” he said, the snark in his voice palpable.

“I’ve been busy running other aspects of the company, so sadly, no. It’s about my fiancée.” I glared at him.

“Oh, Joanna? Your forced bride?” He said as he crossed his arms.

I walked up to him, getting as close as physically possible. I was not going to let him intimidate me. No.

“You better stay the fuck away from her, you understand?” I said the words as slowly, as deliberately as possible. I wanted him to understand exactly what the stakes were. I wasn’t going to back down from a man like him.

“Oh I understand, I understand that you have something you want to keep safe, and I have a bargaining chip.” Another fucking answer I didn’t want to hear.

I did the unthinkable.

I punched that motherfucker right across the face in the middle of the office.

He turned away like it was nothing then he looked at me, a smile on his face while blood dribbled off his bottom lip, the scarlet red of the blood filling in the gaps from between his teeth. “She’s a pretty little thing, your Joanna. And she seems to be a sweetie. I met her, you know, before you did. I thought about taking her home too, but a more forceful piece of ass distracted me and now I’m curious. Does she taste as good as I imagine her to?”

I swung again but this time he grabbed my arm and pulled me into him, deflecting the blow and bringing me into a close distance.

“You better watch yourself, boy. You might be the heir to this throne, but you have a contender on your heels, and I’ll gladly take your woman and your life.” He grabbed the folded square out of my pocket and dabbed his split lip with it. “You understand?”

Red. That was all I saw as I slammed my head into his, shoving him aside. I’d had too much training not to know what to do on instinct. So did he. We went back and forth so quickly that no one would understand what was happening if they looked at us. We were well matched to one another and after a few futile motions and movements we disengaged.

“Stay the fuck away from her,” I repeated. “Or I will kill you.”

“I don’t think our father would like that very much, in fact, I think he has taken a liking to me. Our relationship has grown over the past year when you fucked up the first attempt on my life.” He glared.

I had meant to kill him a year ago. I’d even gone as far as attacking him, but when I saw his eyes staring back at mine, I couldn’t.  We had the same eyes, my father’s.

It made me hesitate once, but it would do no such thing a second time. I would have his life.

“I’ve got work to get back to, but I won’t take your threat lightly, Greyson. As to Joanna, I think she is capable of making her own choices.” I could see the defiance in his face. He didn’t give a shit about what I had to say. He didn’t care at all.

“She already did. I’m just here to enforce them.” I growled. “Now get out of my sight.”

“Whatever you wish, prince.” He bowed in mock gesture then turned and left.

I waited until I was sure he was down the hall to throw all the shit on my desk off of it and scream. That piece of shit had no idea how dead he was.

He had no idea what he was risking.

Joanna

I did it. I came home from UMBC and pressed my body against the door. I resigned, I picked up all my stuff, and I was officially on leave.

My life was on hold.

Greyson wasn’t home, but he’d been here since I left. I could tell by the way things were arranged. By the folders left out.

He didn’t expect me back here. I was supposed to be heading to the hotel tonight, and I’d counted on it. Retrieving my stuff was just an excuse.

I looked down at my phone and bit my lip. This wasn’t going to be enjoyable.

I want something to hold over Fitzgerald. Get it to me, Jo.  I hate to harm my own brother.

A single text from my uncle told me what I had to do. It reminded me why I was here with Greyson. I swore Uncle Dennis wouldn’t hurt me or my father, but from the threat I could tell I was wrong.

I’d underestimated the man, but I couldn’t afford to do that again. I wasn’t here because I got to be with Greyson but because I had to steal from him. I didn’t want to help my uncle, but I had no choice.

Grabbing my things was all an excuse to get me back into the apartment when he wasn’t expecting it. I had to do the one thing I didn’t want to. The one thing I’d been sent to do. I had to get information.

My uncle wanted information, and he was expecting me to get it. He’d threatened me, my father. I knew that he would make good on those promises.

If I just gave him what he wanted he would leave me in peace.

He would leave my family in peace.

I walked towards the folders on the coffee table and sat down. Research was my forte, and this was going to be easy. It would take time, but not as much as pulling documents from an archive.

Two hours later I had nothing. I leafed through each document. Invoices, employment records. It was all mundane. Nothing that was going to help me at all.

Dammit.

I stood up and sighed. I needed a drink.

I padded out to the kitchen and grabbed the rum that I knew was in the freezer. I’d put it there two nights ago. What I needed was a mojito.

Just as I grabbed a glass I heard the door shut.

“Joanna?” Greyson’s voice called from across the room.

“Yeah, I’m here.” I tucked my hair behind my ears and set the unopened bottle back in the freezer. “Had to bring back my things from the office.”

“So it’s done?” he asked as he entered the kitchen.

I nodded.

“It doesn’t have to be forever, Jo. I told you, we just need to be married long enough to appease our families, then we can walk away and you can get back to your life.” Why did it sound like he didn’t want that?

Did I?

“Can we not think about that right now?” I said as I wrapped my arms around him.

“We can do whatever you want.”

“How about a shower, you’re sweaty.”

“I was working out at the gym down in Glen Burnie.”

“You drive all the way down there?” I asked.

“I made a promise, and besides, it’s close to work.”

I nodded. “How about that shower?” I asked.

“I’ll get it started,” said, but I stopped him, and pulled him close.

“Let me undress you,” I said as I started stripping off his clothing. It didn’t take long, but it was all I could think of. If I could get his cellphone, I could get what my uncle wanted.

I kissed his neck as I stripped off his shirt and then started working on his pants. I pushed them down along with his boxers. It was a job only I could do, but damn, if I didn’t enjoy it.

“You’re in a hurry to get me naked, aren’t you?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Go turn on the shower?” I asked.

“What are you going to do?”

“Pour you a drink.” I grinned.

“Deal.” He turned and walked out of the kitchen leaving me alone with his discarded clothing. It only took me a second to rifle through his pants and find what I was looking for. His phone.

I grabbed my cellphone and dialed my uncle. “I have his work phone,” I whispered. “Is that enough?”

“That’s perfect,” he said.

“I need you to send someone to meet me, and you have to get it back to me, can you do that?”

“How long do I have?”

“An hour, two at most.” I said, honestly.

“I’ll send a delivery by right now.”

“You have a guy?” I asked.

“I always have a guy,” Dennis answered. He hung up the phone, and I walked out to the wet bar, pouring that drink I promised.

I jumped when I heard the knock on the door.

“I’ll get it!” I said, “Mary said she was having last minute arrangements sent to the apartment,” I shouted towards the shower.

Greg was waiting at the door. He was my oldest cousin.

“You were quick,” I said as I handed him the phone.

“Returned invitations, you need to call Meg and Sarah and let them know about the wedding.” Meg and Sarah were my cousins over in Bowie.

“Gotcha. I need that back. Soon.”

“Shouldn’t take more than fifty minutes. Travis knows what he’s doing,” Greg whispered.

I closed the door and set the invitations on the coffee table.

“What was it?” Greyson asked, his voice echoing in the bathroom.

I walked through the bedroom to find him standing there, waiting for me. Handing him his drink, I answered, “returned invitation. I need to get ahold of my cousins.”

“Can it wait?” he asked as he grabbed the edge of my shirt and pulled it up.

I smiled at him.

“It can always wait.”

“Are you expecting any more interruptions?” he asked.

“Honestly? Yes. But  not for a while.” I admitted. Greg had to return the phone, but I needed to distract Greyson.

I felt so dirty for doing this, but it wasn’t something I could help. This was my life now.

I kissed him hard and wished it all away. I could lose myself in his arms for just a few moments, forget what I had to do to make good on my promises to my father.

I kissed him, hard. “Shower? Now?”

I had a feeling we were going to do more than just get clean.

Chapter Sixteen

Joanna

“Are you sure we can do this?” I asked Greyson as we stood at the door of the banquet hall. I swallowed, hard. I didn’t know if I could go through with this.

The story was that we’d been dating in secret for months. That he’d given up his playboy ways long before we announced our engagement but kept up the facade. We didn’t want anyone to know about our relationship because of the family feud.

It was a Romeo and Juliet story and it was the exact one that we were promoting. It was easier than telling them the truth. That we were thrown together and forced to marry despite our wishes. That we were falling in love in spite of it all and that we were afraid of the consequences of it.

“It’s just dinner among families. An engagement shower meant to be a good thing, Joanna. You have to relax.”

“Right, but it’ll break apart into two parties?” I asked. I needed him to go over the plans one more time. Really, what I needed was to hear his voice.

“Bachelor and Bachelorette,” he confirmed.

Mary had thrown everything together, and she did it with so much finesse that it all looked planned. I spent almost every day of the last week with her in some capacity, dealing with the reservations, arrangements, and venues.

Somehow whenever a Fitzgerald came calling they dropped whatever or whoever they were dealing with and did exactly what Mary wanted.

The extra added weight of O’Brien behind it only seemed to hasten the process.

I looked down at my dress, the dusty rose cocktail outfit foreshadowing the colors of the wedding. I’d opted for simple and classic, and it worked in my favor.

“It’s going to be okay. You don’t need to have cold feet.” He kissed my temple and pulled me into him. His grip was as possessive as ever, but it only felt reassuring to me.

“You’re right, because there is no chance I could run away,” I joked.

Greyson didn’t seem to think it was funny. He grabbed me and pulled me in, kissing me hard.

“Do you want to run away?” he asked.

“No,” it was the honest truth. Even if I could, even if it was a possibility it wasn’t one that I wanted. I was tied to him, and he was a part of me.

The whole prospect, though, made me feel horribly light headed. I’d been dealing with stress nausea all week. Everything was so up in the air that my body had started to rebel.

I grabbed my handkerchief and dabbed at the cold sweat beading up along my hairline.

“Are you okay?” He asked as he looked me over. I’d been getting a lot of those worried looks lately.

“What? Yeah, I’m fine. Just nervous.”

“Well, don’t be. I’m here. I’ll protect you from the big bads.” He smiled but somehow I knew he wasn’t kidding.

“Even your father?” I asked as I nudged him.

“Especially him.”

Shit. Another truth.

He opened the door, and we entered the room buzzing with conversation. Everyone noticed us, though, and they all started clapping.

The hall was filled full of people. Family, friends. Yeah it wasn’t the entire guest list of the wedding, but it was a lot of people. All here to celebrate our engagement.

“Well there she is,” Willa grabbed me in an embrace. As soon as I’d called Mary she’d put the word out to Willa. They were to be my joint maids of honor, and they’d come through brilliantly. Willa pulled every string she could to help, but it wasn’t necessary. Still, I was glad she’d tried.

“Hi there, it looks like you’ve been enjoying the champagne,” I giggled as I took the glass from her and drank right from it. I was going to need a good bit of alcohol to get through the night myself.

“Well, when your fiancé got the top notch stuff, I thought, why not?” she winked at Greyson. “Mind if I take her around the room? She needs to make the rounds.”

“Not a problem. I’ll find my father and Janson.”

Willa took it all in stride. She was one of the only people who knew the circumstances of the wedding and she hadn’t let the secret slip. Hell, she didn’t even treat him with the disdain I thought she would.

“You know, he’s one handsome devil,” she whispered to me, not quiet enough. He heard it and then grinned, winking at her and turning out towards the crowd.

I watched as her already rosy face turned an even deeper shade of red.

“You realize we have all night to get drunk, don’t you?”

It was early.

“It’s not my fault the parties had to all be jam-packed into a single day. You didn’t even do a rehearsal!”

“We couldn’t get use of the venue for that,” I explained. We were lucky to get St. Vincent DePaul to lend us the venue at all. Turns out Father Patrick was a cousin of Alexander’s.

“I see your point,” I said.

“We ready to do this?” Mary asked as she came up and threaded her arm through Willa’s. The three of us became close instantly and those two hit it off extremely well.

I could tell by the way they rolled their eyes in time that they would be friends even after the wedding.

“Yes. The sooner we do this the sooner we can get to the real party.”

“Real party?” I asked. It was mostly in jest because I knew they were planning something a little bit more lively than this.

“You bet your ass. We have penis shaped cake, Joanna. You aren’t getting out of that,” Willa said.

She pushed me around the room introducing me to just about everyone. Mary was there with us the whole way, letting me know who each individual was and how important they were to the family.

It didn’t keep her from rolling her eyes though. I liked Mary.

“Okay, rounds complete. Now the adults will get to sit and talk and we can get to the fun,” Willa said as she pushed me out the back doors.

“Wait, what about Greyson?” I asked. I wanted to at least get the chance to say goodbye.

“He has his own party to get to,” Mary answered.

It was going to be one long night.