All Mine Read online

  “How?”

  “We’ll talk about it. We’ll get Gabe involved. I need to update him. Order us some food. Let me call him while you do and then we’ll talk through our plans while we eat. Yes?”

  “I don’t think I can eat.”

  “You need to eat, sleep and trust me. I won’t let anything happen to your father.”

  “I do trust you. I think I’ve proven that.”

  “You have, but you need to remember that now. I got this and I got you.”

  “How?”

  “By being the brutal asshole you know I can be. I know you trust my ability to be those things. “

  “Right about now that makes me happy.”

  I kiss her forehead, but she pulls back. “Reid, I love you with all my heart, but I’m scared for my father. Maybe we have to call off the engagement just temporarily. Just until you can do your thing.”

  Those words stab me like a sharp blade. “No,” I say in instant rejection. “I told you, you’re protected.”

  “But my father is not.”

  “Yes. He is. I will protect your father. You have my word. I promise you, Carrie.”

  “How, Reid? How can you end this when they won’t let you end it?”

  “I’ve never closed a deal in my life, baby, that someone didn’t want to stop. We’ll do this. We’ll do it together. I’m not taking that ring back. I’m not even pretending to break our engagement. We need to plan our wedding, not postpone it. Our fathers don’t get that power over us.”

  “You’re right, of course.”

  “I am right. I love you. You love me. Fuck them for being such shitty parents. As for Christmas, I would love to spend it with you in our home because we’re starting our life. Now, order food. I’ll make phone calls. We’ll end this war and start our lives together.” And because her quickness to call off the engagement is bugging the fuck out of me, I add, “Unless you just don’t want to marry me.”

  Her hands go to my face. “Of course, I want to marry you,” she vows, sincerity radiating in her voice. “So very much.”

  Relief washes over me. I cup her backside and pull her snug against me. “Then fight for me, baby, like I am for you and us.”

  “I am. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel that I wasn’t. I’m not running. I’m not having second thoughts about us. I just—murder takes this to a whole new place. Murder is not sabotaging someone or ruining their business. It’s murder.”

  “I knew this would rattle you and with good reason, but that’s why I didn’t want to tell you. Not because I didn’t think you could handle it, but because you shouldn’t have to. I don’t want this to be your life but we’re already in the middle of this simply by being their children. Just know this, no one is going to die and we are going to live happily ever after with our dog and cat.”

  She breathes out. “Yes, please. I am fighting. Fighting is all that works. I just wanted you to know that I’m willing to do whatever you need me to do to end this. Make your calls.” She kisses me. “I do think I need those French fries and most definitely the ice cream. It’s power fuel for the fight.”

  “I’m all in on the power fuel.” I kiss her and release her, but not without a hell of a lot of regret. I hate so fucking much that our fathers placed this shadow over our engagement. I dial Gabe and update him. It’s a quick call that ends with us coming to the same conclusion: we need outside help. By the time I disconnect, Carrie has ordered food and I sit down on the couch with her. “Let’s make this next call together.”

  “What call?”

  “Gabe and I agree that we need backup, but I’m not going to rush back to New York and leave you here to worry. That was a wrong decision, a rare kneejerk decision on my part. I belong with you, so we’re going to call Royce Walker, of Walker Security, and we’re going to pay him whatever it takes for him to find a way to end this for us.”

  “You think he can do that?”

  “His team consists of ex-CIA agents, hackers, special ops, and every form of law enforcement you can name. This is the bottom line, Carrie. We need to hold take control and that means holding our parents as our captives. I have ideas on how to make this happen, but we need to let them play as dirty as necessary. Better that than anyone ending up dead. That means your father may feel pain, too. Are you okay with that?”

  “Just keep him alive. So, yes. Yes, I am. Make the call. End this and then yes, let’s get married.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Carrie

  Over the next hour, Reid and I talk to Royce, and despite the fact that Reid doesn’t tell Royce about the murder accusation, he does a good job of getting across our challenging circumstances. I’m listening to them talk and stuffing my mouth with a big bite of some chocolate volcanic concoction when Reid does what I don’t expect, but I should. This is the man I love after all. “I need Carrie’s father protected without knowing he’s being protected.”

  “Consider it done,” Royce says. “And Carrie, consider him safe. My team is the best of the best. I’ll be in touch.”

  Royce hangs up and I set my spoon down. “If I wasn’t already so damn in love with you,” I say, climbing onto his lap. “I’d be so damn in love with you.”

  “Prove it,” he says, picking me up and carrying me to the bedroom where he lays me on the mattress and comes down on top of me. “Sleep with me, baby.”

  I laugh. “No fucking?”

  “Lots of fucking. That goes without saying.” He kisses me and I have never needed to be kissed so badly in my life. I have never needed him so much and I’m not alone. He is all over me and it’s a matter of minutes before we’re naked and in the bed, facing each other, kissing each other. Touching each other. I can’t explain the depth of what passes between us in the time that follows. There are moments of pure tenderness. His hand on my cheek. My hand on his. His declaration that “No one will take you from me. No one gets between us.” But then there are these intense, fiery waves. He tangles fingers in my hair. He cups my breast and he’s not gentle. I don’t want him to be gentle. I need the roughness. I need the pure escape that is that line between pleasure and pain. I revel in the freedom to be this, that, or anything with this man naked or otherwise.

  It’s a long time later when we fall asleep, with him wrapped around me, holding me perhaps a little too tight and yet not tight enough. I sleep because he holds me, because he’s driven away everything but that need. I wake to sunlight and the sound of Reid on the phone in the other room. I’m instantly awake, worried something is wrong, but as I reach the bedroom door, I hear. “Yes. Coffee. Fruit. Hard boiled eggs.”

  I step to the doorway as he disconnects the line to find him looking hot and hard in a pair of pajama bottoms and nothing else. My future husband has a perfect, rock hard body. “I woke you up,” he says, walking all that hotness my direction.

  “Is anything wrong?” I ask as he stops in front of me.

  “Nothing new,” he says, dragging me to him and kissing my temple. “Grayson called to check in and that woke me up. We have a couple hours until the meeting. I was thinking about grabbing a workout. You want to come?”

  “Actually, I need to do some work before we head out. You go on without me. I’ll work off my French fries tonight.”

  “I’ll work them off for you,” he promises. “I’ll be fast and back within an hour.”

  “You know where we’re going?”

  “I do,” he says. “I actually went to an event there years ago. And on another note, I ordered coffee and food that wouldn’t get cold. Room service will be here soon, if you can grab the door.”

  "Of course," I say. "Coffee is involved. I'm all in. Thanks for ordering."

  A few minutes later, he’s headed out to the gym and I have the coffee he ordered shortly after. I settle onto the couch and dial my father, forced to leave another message. I repeat my attempt at contact with my brother and fail. Out of verbal options, I open my computer and decide to type my father an email, and
once I start writing, the words pour from a deep, heartfelt part of me:

  Father—

  You have always been my hero, but even a hero is human. I understand that you and Reid’s father have bad blood. I even understand that you have real reason to hate his father. You loved mom, even if she didn’t deserve your love. But I love Reid and he does deserve my love. He’s not his father. He’s a brother, a son to a mother he lost, who he loved so very much. A son who wishes he’d loved more and done more. A man with emotions and feelings and a good heart. Yes, he can be brutal and hard, but rest assured that he is those things in business, but with integrity. He is those things to protect those he loves. He would, he will, protect me, and isn’t that what every father wants for his daughter? A loving protector? I don’t know how to even explain the depth of which this man has affected my life personally and professionally. He doesn’t go easy on me. He pushes me hard. He has made me a better CEO of the company you created. He’s made me better for you and me. I’d like to think that I’ve made him better, too, in ways that are between him and me, but we make each other better. I hope that you have found that in Montana. I want you to be happy. I want to share your happiness. I want you to share mine. I need my father.

  I don’t care what you’ve done. I don’t see failures. I just see a father who taught me to work hard and dream big. I see a father I love. If you love me, I beg you to find a way to make peace. I beg you to see Reid for Reid, for the man I love. I beg you to please, be happy for me, because dad, he makes me happy. He is one of my two best friends. You are the other.

  Please.

  Love,

  Carrie

  I don’t read what I’ve typed. I hit send and then I dial my father. Of course, voicemail picks up. “Dad, I sent you an email. Please read it. I love you. I don’t want to fight with you.” My eyes prickle as I disconnect and head to the shower.

  Thirty minutes later, I’m in a silk robe and I’ve just finished drying my hair when the sound of the hotel room door opening reaches my ears. I grab my phone and hurry to greet Reid. I’ve just stepped into the doorway between the bedroom and the living area and brought him into view when my phone rings. I stop dead in my tracks, glance down and eye the caller ID and then Reid before I answer, “Dad.”

  Reid's expression hardens, concern in his eyes as my father says, “I read your email.” His voice actually cracks and I'm relieved that he has an emotional reaction. This shows humanity and I've feared he lost his.

  I turn and walk into the bedroom and sit on the bed. Reid joins me, showing silent support as he settles on one knee in front of me, his presence my pillar as I prod my father. “Thank you for reading it. What did you think of it?”

  “You really love him that much?”

  “Yes," I say, and this time my voice cracks. "I really do.”

  “I hate his father.”

  “I know, but it’s too much hate for too long. Let it go.”

  Reid’s hands settle on my legs and one of mine goes to his. Silence fills the line, long seconds passing, eternal seconds before my father says, “I love you,” he says. “I really do love you, Carrie. Let me talk to Reid. Put him on speaker.”

  “Okay.” I cover the speaker and whisper, “He wants to talk to you.”

  “Put him on,” Reid says with no hesitation.

  I hit the button. “You’re on speaker, dad.”

  “Reid?” he growls.

  “Yes, Mr. West?”

  “Do not hurt my daughter or I will hurt you.”

  Reid's eyes meet mine. “I will protect her with my life.” He speaks those words with deep, guttural emotion.

  “You damn sure better, and that means protecting her from everyone and everything, including from your father.”

  “I will. Always. I love her as completely as any man can love a woman.”

  He lifts my hand and kisses it and my heart squeezes with the love in his eyes to match his words.

  “I’ll test you on that,” my father promises.

  “As long as you don’t hurt Carrie in the process the way you have recently, then I can live with that."

  "Pick up, Carrie," my father orders.

  I hit the speaker button. “I'm here," I say.

  "Congratulations," he replies. "Be happy. Come to Montana and bring that asshole with you. For the wedding, my wedding. And maybe you can invite me to yours.”

  My eyes prickle. “Yes, I’d like that.”

  “Good. Call me soon.” He hangs up and I throw my arms around Reid. He stands up and takes me with him, lifting me off the ground to hold me before he sets me down.

  “How did that happen?” he asks.

  “I wrote him a long email while drinking that coffee you had sent up. Really long. I was riding the caffeine and time change.”

  “It must have been one hell of an email.”

  “What about your father, though?”

  “Half of our problems just went away. Let’s celebrate that right now.” He cups my face. “Let’s plan our wedding.”

  “Yes,” I say, smiling. “Let’s plan our wedding.” And for now, we don’t think about his father, the one who might have killed someone. The one who might kill again.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Carrie

  I’m feeling pretty darn good about everything when Reid and I leave for our meetings. I’m in my lucky pink suit. Reid is looking like pure hot man in a gray suit with a navy pinstripe. The drama with my father is done, I believe that, and so does Reid. We’ve just climbed into our hired car when my phone rings.

  I fish it from my purse, to glance at the number. “My brother,” I tell Reid and then answer, “Anthony.”

  “You’re really marrying him, are you?”

  “That’s not a real question, right?”

  “Fuck,” he grumbles. “Well, he’s rich. At least you got that right. Good luck and all that. I’ll get over hating him and congratulate you when I can be genuine.”

  “Well,” I say. “At least, I appreciate the fact that we’re skipping the fake stuff.”

  “I love you even if you don’t think I do. Call me if you need me.”

  “Will you answer?”

  “Yes, sis. I’ll answer. Let’s get together before you leave.”

  “No,” I say. “I don’t want to force you to fake anything. Let’s just agree to meet up next time.”

  He’s silent two beats. “Okay. Later, sis.” He disconnects.

  Reid arches a brow as I stuff my phone back into my purse. “Well?”

  “He said at least you’re rich. I got that right.”

  Reid laughs. “That is true, baby.” He pulls me close and presses his cheek to mine, his lips by my ear as he whispers, “But you’re marrying me for my tongue, right?”

  I gasp as if I’m not used to this man and his naughty talk and he laughs again. God, I love his laugh. I love him. I love his tongue. Today is a good day and this is a good life. That’s how I’m feeling when we walk into day one of our meetings.

  Hour upon hour that follow, Reid and I slay everything we touch and prove that we’re a great team. We end the day the way it started, in bed with Reid curled around me. I lay there with only the tiniest hint of worry. “Did you tell your father that my father has thrown us his support?” I murmur.

  “It’s better if my father thinks this wedding is torture for your father, at least for now.” Because his father enjoys my father’s pain. It’s not a good thought.

  Reid nuzzles my neck. “Trust me, baby. I’ll handle it.” He strokes my hair. “Sleep. I got you and us.”

  I believe him, so I do. I sleep, and I sleep like a baby. No. I sleep like a woman in love and in her future husband’s arms.

  ***

  Seven days later…

  Japan draws Reid and I closer. We work well together. We do the good cop-bad cop routine perfectly, and I feel that I soften him at the right times, and he hardens me at moments when I am not hard enough. We are so good together that we finish
up in Japan sooner than expected. It’s nearly nine at night Japan time and Reid and I are eating room service in bed with our bags packed for the next morning.

  “Wedding,” Reid says. “We still haven’t picked a date or a location.”

  “We’ve picked about ten dates and locations,” I laugh. “That’s the problem. I don’t want Valentine’s Day. It’s too everyone else. Maybe we should do St. Patrick’s Day and dress our cat and dog up in green.”

  He laughs. “Only you could get me to dress a cat and dog up.”

  “Is that a yes on St. Patrick’s Day?”

  “Only if we have green beer and champagne.” His cellphone rings and he grabs it from the nightstand, answering it the minute he sees the number. “Right,” he says, after listening for a moment. “That works. Yes, see you then.” He disconnects.

  “Already booked when we return,” I say. “I’m sure Gabe is feeling your absence.”

  “Actually, that was for you and me. We have a board meeting the day after tomorrow and you are officially going to be the CEO of West Industries.”

  “Oh.”

  “Oh? I thought you’d be happy.”

  “I am, but you know, I think I need your asshole-ness around. We’re a good team.”

  “I’ll always be right here, baby.”

  “I know, but I mean West needs you.”

  “You’re not giving yourself enough credit.”

  “I am,” I say. “I’m good at what I do and what I do is not what you do. I’m not cold-hearted.”

  “And that’s an insult or a compliment?”

  “A compliment. You do business without emotion. Maybe—could we propose merging West and Maxwell?”

  “Do you know the hell our fathers will give us?”

  “I don’t think mine will now. And yours—he’ll really feel like he beat my father.”

  He sets the food tray on the nightstand and drags me to him, pulling us down side by side, facing each other. “Are you sure want to do this?”

  “Yes, I love this idea, but can we sell your brother and the board on it?”

  “We just made everyone a shit ton of money together. So, yes, we can sell it.”