You & Me Make Three: Barrington Billionaire's Series: Book Three (15 page)

“W
e have an issue.”

“With Morgan?” Shaun’s voice filled with panic.

“Her father, Loras, knows we’re watching the house, watching her.”

“How the fuck did that happen?” Shaun wasn’t ready for Morgan to know what was going on. If she found out, there was no telling what her reaction would be.
She should be happy that someone is dealing with that asshole. But probably not.

“I guess Morgan said something to him, and he had all the plates of unknown vehicles run. When ours came up, he came knocking.”

Shit.
He was already on his way to her house for their bike ride. She hadn’t called him, so was she waiting for him to get there before confronting him? “What did you tell him?”

“Times like this, you tell something close to the truth.”

I like that saying.
“And that was?”

“That you cared deeply about Morgan and Tyler and wanted a bit of security watching her. That you’d caught wind that the Sapp family wasn’t doing as well as before, and you didn’t want any of their issues coming down on Morgan.”

Not bad.
“What did he say?”

“That he’ll discuss it with you while Morgan and Tyler go for the ride. It looks like dear ole dad wants to have a sit down with you, Shaun. Good luck.”

Shaun didn’t miss the sarcasm. But he couldn’t sit with Loras because he needed to be on that bike, watching Morgan. There wasn’t much time to develop a plan. He pulled in front of her house, and Loras was waiting by the gate. “Keep your guys alert. I might not be on the ride this morning.”

“Roger that.”

Shaun got out of the Jeep and walked right up to Loras. “I think we should talk.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth, young man,” Loras said, then called out, “Morgan.”

She came out of the house. “Yes, Dad?”

“Shaun and I are going to get some coffee while you and Tyler take your ride.”

He watched Morgan’s eyes widen even before she looked at him puzzled. “Is there something either of you want to tell me?”

“No,” they replied in unison.

Morgan put her hands on her hips and said, “I’m not a child.”

“No, but you’re still my daughter, and Shaun and I are going to sit down for a little man-to-man time. Your choice is to go on the bike ride with Tyler or stay in the house. We should be back within an hour.”

“Loras, what are you up to?” Elisabeth asked, now standing by Morgan.

“Being a father,” Loras replied and headed toward Shaun’s Jeep. “You can drive.”

He’d never encountered having to sit and explain himself to someone’s parent.
Hell, I never explained myself to my own father.
“Where to?”

“I don’t care. Just make it out of this neighborhood to a place we can talk privately.”

Shaun started the Jeep but pulled out his cell phone and sent a quick text to Bennett, letting him know the new plan before driving off.

He wasn’t familiar with the area, but came across a small breakfast place. “Is this okay?”

“Fine with me.”

Shaun could hear the tenseness in Loras’s voice. If the tables were turned, he probably would’ve demanded the answer right there on the front walk, never waiting for a private moment to speak.

The waitress came and took their order. Once they had their drinks Loras started the conversation.

“I had a chat with your friend, Bennett. Let’s just say I am not accepting his answer to my question. So now I’m going to ask you, and you better have an explanation as to why you’re having my daughter watched.”

So many things came to mind. Tell the man it’s none of his business and see what he does. He could make up a lie. “Morgan is not aware of what I am going to tell you.”

“I figured that much. After you tell me, I’ll decide if she needs to know.”

He could respect that. “Fair enough. Let me start by saying that I care about your daughter very much.”

“If I thought otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here with you.”

He nodded. “This is about Tyler’s father, Walter.”

“What’s that bastard up to now?” Loras’s voice became louder than he expected and people around him turned and looked in their direction. He gave them a wave of apology and addressed Shaun again. “If he thinks after all this time he can walk back into their lives he has another thing coming.”

“No, that’s not the issue. He and his family are still as hateful as they were six years ago.”

“Then what’s going on?”

“They are slandering her name in the business industry. So I decided it was time to shut them up once and for all.”

Loras had a look of concern. “And how do you plan on doing that?”

There are things you are better off not knowing.
“By hitting him where it’ll hurt him the most. His one true love.”

“His wallet.”

Exactly.
“I’ve left Morgan out of this. They should have no reason to link anything to her, but a cornered dog will bite, and I want them protected.” He didn’t care if he took the hit, but if anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.

“How far are you taking it?”

“All the way.”

“Closing the company?”

Crushing it.
“Yes.”

“Shaun, I respect you want to defend her honor, but you need to think of all the employees who’ll lose their jobs. What you’re doing is going to have a chain reaction that affects innocent families. Morgan would never want to hurt another child to protect her own. That’s not who she is.”

He hadn’t thought that far. There had only been one mission, and that was to make him pay for what he’d done to her and to Tyler. Technically it wasn’t too late. He could contact Trent, and together they could put a halt to it, but then what did they gain?
Nothing.

If I crush Walter and lose Morgan, is it worth it? She could go back to her life, and I go back to mine. Would that be so bad? I wasn’t looking for anything serious to start, so cutting my ties would be the wisest choice.
He downed his coffee and waved the waitress for a refill.

“I don’t want him in her or Tyler’s life ever again.”

“That’s hard. He is Tyler’s father. There is such a thing as parental rights. He could walk back in anytime he wants to, and there is nothing any of us can do to change that, whether he has money or not.”

Shit. How could I have forgotten that? Oh, because I’m not a parent. I don’t know this shit.
He ran his fingers through his hair. Frustration filled him, and he felt as though he was back to square one.

“Shaun, you might want to stop and think about why you’re doing this before you continue. I know you said you care about Morgan, but your actions are . . . extreme. Something you’d expect from someone who loves a woman. Do you love her?”

Love? I don’t know anything about such feelings. They’ve never been part of my life.
“I like her . . . very much.”

Loras nodded. “Then I suggest you think about how to fix whatever you’ve done before Morgan catches wind of it. Because if she does, it might not matter if you like or love her; she might not forgive you. Trust me, son. I’ve been married a long time, and I know a thing or two about women. They don’t forget shit.”

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Let’s get you back to the house. It’s early, and if you’re smart you can take those two out to the zoo or something fun to make up for the lack of the bike ride.”

Shaun never had a father to guide him. Was this what it would’ve been like if his father had been even half human? He remembered Morgan telling him these were her adoptive parents. He never realized how lucky a person could be finding a home filled with love, even when they’re not blood.

As they made it to the Jeep, Shaun knew exactly what he needed to do.
Why hadn’t I thought of this before? It’s the perfect answer and will solve all the problems, now and in the future.

“Are you okay?” Loras asked as he buckled up his seat belt.

I will be. No. We will be. I just have to put the new plan into action.
“Yes sir, I am. I’m just thinking about all the things I want to do with Tyler and Morgan.”

“Good. But today, the zoo is a good start. He loves to ride the elephant.”

Excellent. Something we all can ride together.

M
organ had a fantastic weekend with Shaun and Tyler. Her first thought when she saw her father talking to Shaun was that the romance was over. She knew that look on her father’s face. He was upset and wouldn’t share what was wrong, not even with her mother, which was out of character. Thankfully whatever it was, they solved it as both men had returned in one piece.

She sat at her desk, holding her phone and scrolling through the pictures. Tyler truly had a good time at the zoo. He would have ridden the elephant a hundred times if she’d allowed it. Ordinarily she just watched, but this time had been different. She found the picture she was looking for. She was in the front, Tyler in the middle, and Shaun in the back as they rode around on the great beast.

When he first said he wanted them all to ride together, she thought for sure he was joking or only doing it to humor Tyler. Looking at the picture now, she noticed Shaun looked as happy as her son.

“Who would’ve thought Shaun was just a big kid at heart?”

“I would have.”

Morgan put her phone face down on her desk, embarrassed to have gotten caught playing at work. She recognized the voice because of the daily phone conferences she’d had.
Crap. Surprise personal appearance.

“Hi, Tessa.” Morgan got up and came out from behind her desk to shake her hand. “I’m Morgan. It’s so nice to finally meet you in person.”

“Please sit and relax. I didn’t stop by to check on you. I’m actually meeting Dean for lunch. You and Shaun should join us.”

Oh, no. We’re not . . . well, I don’t know what we are. But whatever it is, I like it. I like him. A lot.
“I have a lot of work to finish.”

“Morgan, I’m your boss, and I know exactly what you need to complete today. Do you think I was bored and just happened to find my way down here?”

She shook her head.
I actually thought you were checking up on me. Someone should. I’ve been here for weeks and only once did Shaun come down.
Morgan remembered exactly how that ended.
Kissing him until I thought I would die.

“I didn’t realize this was a business lunch.”

“It’s not. So we’ll see you in the lobby at noon. No excuses.” Tessa smiled and left Morgan alone once again.

There was a time she craved the solitude. Now, not so much. There was one companion she was missing terribly.
How is it that in just a few weeks he has me tied in knots?

She picked her phone up again, and it was still on the picture of the three of them. It was what a family photo would look like.
If we were actually a family.

Morgan tried not to overthink it, but she couldn’t help herself. Like every young girl, she’d dreamed about finding her happily ever after. She knew that wasn’t what she and Walter were about, but once Tyler came along she yearned for him to have a father in his life.
Having no father is better than one who treats you badly.

She knew Tyler wouldn’t be the loving boy he was if Walter had been around. Walter made everything and everyone around him tense. She could only imagine how much worse it would’ve been for the child to have endured his endless badgering.
We would’ve been yelling and fighting every day about what was best for Tyler. No, thank you. He didn’t need that in his life. We’re better off alone than living like that.

It was sweet thinking she was no longer alone. They had Shaun in their lives. Not only did she spend Saturday with him, but he also came on Sunday. It wasn’t the fast moving pace they’d had at the zoo, but at least, they were together. He even stayed while she got Tyler ready for bed. At first she thought it was because he wanted to spend the night, but soon after Tyler was asleep, Shaun kissed her and went home.

Had spending the entire day with them two days in a row been too much? For someone who doesn’t have children, it could have been overwhelming.
He’s my son, and there’re times I can’t do it and need a break. It was probably more than Shaun expected.

She looked at the clock. It was almost time to meet them.
Why did I agree? I am comfortable with Shaun, but I’m not ready to do lunch with his family.
There was no way she could call and back out now. Not only were they all her supervisors, but it was clear backing out wasn’t an option earlier, so she doubted it’d be now.

Grabbing her purse, she left her office and made her way to the lobby. She was going to be early, but the last thing she wanted was the three of them waiting for her.

While Morgan waited, someone outside caught her attention. There was a man who looked familiar hanging around just outside the entrance.
Where do I know him from? I know I’ve seen him before, but where?

Morgan remembered faces from her coffeehouse days, but that wasn’t the case. This was much more recent. She got up and walked closer to the glass. It was the type you could see out, but not in.
Perfect for spying on someone.

She normally wasn’t bold enough to gawk at someone, but she had a strange feeling about him, and it wasn’t good. As HR, she should be concerned about someone loitering around that might bring harm.
This day and age you can’t be too careful.

Her heart almost leaped from her chest. She remembered where.
I saw him in my neighborhood.
She looked around to see if anyone else had noticed him. No, it was just her and the security guard at the moment. Morgan debated asking the guard to go out and check him out. Find out who the man was, what he was doing there, but what if it was just her imagination? She looked at her watch again. It was ten minutes before noon.
Okay. I need to know if I’m right or if I’m losing my mind.

She walked to the door and left the building. It wasn’t going to be a long walk. Just long enough to make it appear she was leaving. If he followed her, then she had her answer.

Briskly she walked down to the sidewalk and crossed the street at the crosswalk. Making her way to the ice cream stand, she decided to order something just to act normal. This would give her enough time to adjust herself to look around at her surroundings and see if he was anywhere nearby.

Shit!
Although her gut said she was being watched, she now had proof. The man was by the magazine rack right across the street.
Why? What could he want with me? It can’t be about work because I’m nobody important. For him to be around my house and here, he’s got to be a pervert or some stalker. But why me?
She couldn’t stand there contemplating the answer.

Her hands trembled as she paid the man for the ice cream. She took it and headed back to Poly-Shyn.
Maybe checking on this alone wasn’t a wise decision. Come on, move these feet faster and get your butt back to work where you are safe.
When she passed a trashcan, she slipped the untouched cone inside. Not waiting for the crosswalk, she bolted across the street. Car horns blared, but she didn’t care. Right now she needed to get back to talk to Shaun. She had to tell him.

Morgan dug in her purse while walking briskly.
Damn. I forgot my cell phone on my desk. Great!
One more block and she’d be there. From where she was she could already see the limo parked in front, waiting.
Almost there. Keep moving.

When she arrived at the limo, she peeked inside, but there was just the driver. That meant they were still inside the building. She ran through the automatic glass doors and found Shaun, Dean, and Tessa standing there.

He must’ve seen the fear in her eyes because he was by her side with his arm around her instantly. “Baby, what’s the matter? What happened?”

She was trying to catch her breath. “Shaun, I wasn’t imagining it. It’s real.”

He brushed a stray hair away from her face and asked, “What’s real?”

Morgan forgot. She’d never told him of her suspicions.
No time like the present.
“I’m being followed.”

Shaun looked around then turned back to her. “Why do you think that?”

“There’s a man outside wearing a baseball cap who I’ve seen lurking around my house. Now he’s here at my job. I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“Are you sure he’s the same man?”

“Yes. When I noticed him, I went for a walk two blocks down the street and even crossed the street to make sure. He followed me there and then followed me back.” She pointed to the man she was talking about. “See. He’s right there. Acting like he’s reading, but in fact, he’s watching.”

“Oh my God, Morgan. That’s horrible,” Tessa said.

“No one would want me, but I know one person who’d be crazy enough to do something to Tyler.” Her blood boiled just thinking of him. “Walter Sapp, Tyler’s father.”

“Morgan, it’s not Walter having you followed. It’s me,” Shaun said while still holding her.

She looked up at him puzzled, hoping she’d misunderstood. The look in his eyes said she hadn’t. “What do you mean you’re having me followed?”

He eased his grip on her but didn’t let go fully. “They’re people I hired to keep an eye on you and Tyler.”

She pushed away from him. “Why?”

“Because I don’t trust Walter any more than you do.”

“And you didn’t tell her about it?” Tessa interrupted.

Morgan appreciated Tessa’s support, but that didn’t change a thing. Was that why Shaun was spending so much time around them lately? She’d hoped it was because he’d come to care for them. She couldn’t bring herself to voice her thoughts because she knew the answer. Her heart was breaking, and it was Shaun’s fault. “I’m sorry. I need to go.”

Shaun grabbed her arm as she tried to leave. “Wait. I want to explain.”

She looked at his hand and said harshly, “Let go of me. And I don’t want to ever see you again. Do you understand? Never again!”

Although she knew her angry words were harsh, she couldn’t stop herself from voicing them. Pain and betrayal had bubbled over. Not only was she upset with him, but with herself for putting herself in the situation in the first place.
I knew it. What was I thinking opening myself up like that?

His fingers slowly released her, and she headed through the glass doors. Tears of anger streamed down her cheeks.
How could you do this to me? To us? I know you might think you were doing the right thing. You were trying to protect me and my son, but you should have told me what was going on. Let me decide what to do. All I wanted was your love, but you couldn’t give that, could you? No all you could give me was manipulation to try to control me. Thanks, but I’ve had enough of that already. I was looking for so much more, something real.

She needed to get home. When she told her parents what Shaun had done, she knew they’d be furious with him.
Dad won’t be all smiles with you after this. Actually, I think you might be the person he hates second most in this world.

Within minutes, she hopped on the public transit and was making her way to where she’d parked her car.
I need to stop working in Boston. It obviously doesn’t agree with me.

“What the fuck was that about, Shaun?”

“My words exactly, well almost,” Tessa said, giving Dean a warning look to watch his language. “Might as well practice now. I don’t want you swearing in front of the baby.”

Shaun normally enjoyed watching Dean get put in his place, but right now he was too pissed at Bennett to care. “I have Bennett and his men watching her and Tyler.”

“Why?” Dean had a look of shock on his face no different than Tessa.

Dean, do we really need to do this in front of Tessa? She’s going to tell Zoey, who will, in turn, tell Lena, and then I’ll have to hear it from Brice.
“It’s complicated.”

“Isn’t it always with the Henderson men?” Tessa stated.

You don’t know the half of it. Oh wait, yes you do because you almost got killed because of Dean.
“Remember her former employer?”

“WS & Son? Yeah. They really don’t like her. You said there was no issue there. Were you wrong?” Dean asked.

“No. The son is Tyler’s father. Let’s just say their family is a bunch of bastards. Do you know that Tyler is autistic?”

They both shook their head. “What does that have to do with anything?” Tessa asked.