Bad Guys Don't Win (Janet Maple Series Book 4)
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Authors: Marie Astor
Bad Guys Don’t
Win
(Book Four of
the Janet Maple Series)
By
Marie Astor
Bad Guys Don’t
Win
Copyright ©Marie
Astor 2015
Excerpt from
Thirsty
for Payback
Copyright 2014 Marie Astor
Excerpt from
Baiting
Trouble
Copyright 2014 Marie Astor
All rights reserved. Without limiting
the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in
any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and
the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events
or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Website:
www.marieastor.com
Facebook: Author
Marie Astor
Twitter:
@marieastor
Dedication:
To my readers—you are the reason I write. Without
you, these words would never see the light of day. Thank you for reading!
Mila Brabec checked her makeup in the
mirror, hastily adding touch-ups. She wished she could go home to get ready,
but there was just no time. The bar was super busy tonight. She wiped off the
caked mascara from beneath her lower lashes with a makeup remover tissue and
added two fresh coats of mascara to each eye. Then she dusted her face with a
powder puff, added some blush to her cheeks, and finished with two coats of
lipstick—
Plump Cherry
—Philip’s favorite. She released her dark hair from
the ponytail she usually wore at work, letting it fall to her shoulders and ran
a brush through, teasing it lightly. She checked the results in the mirror—not
bad. She readjusted her bra, making sure her cleavage was advantageously
displayed beneath the neckline of her black mini dress, which was complimented
by black stilettos she specifically kept at work for dates with Philip—there
was no way she could wear high heels at work. All in all, she looked pretty
good.
It was just a week night date anyway.
Liar
,
Mila thought. As much as she was scared to admit it, every date with Philip was
special in its own right. He could be taking her to McDonalds, and she’d still
be on cloud nine. She’d never felt this way about any other man before, and at
times she could scarcely believe her own happiness. Good things didn’t happen
to her—that used to be the case, but somehow she’d managed to turn the page. It
was scary, but it was also wonderful.
Mila quickly ran up the stairs to the
main floor. She threw a worried glance at the packed bar stand. Her friend and
business partner, Amy, was serving drinks to the crowd with the help of a
waitress and a busboy. Even with the increased staff, the three of them looked
overwhelmed. They’d need to hire more help pretty soon if they were to keep up.
Mila smiled at the thought—being a business owner still seemed surreal to her
at times. She and Amy were proud owners of Amy and Mila’s—a hip, but casual bar
that drew a mixed crowd of professionals, students, and anyone who was up for a
good time.
Amy waved cheerfully as she caught
Mila’s glance. “See you tomorrow,” she mouthed.
Mila quickly made her way to the bar
stand—she still had a few minutes left before meeting Philip. “Are you sure
you’ll be okay without me? It looks crazy busy. I could cancel my plans with
Philip.”
Amy shook her head, her fiery-red
ponytail swinging in protest. “Nonsense. Get out of here and have some fun.”
“I have fun here.”
Amy narrowed her eyes. “You know what I
mean. And you can drop the indifference routine—I know you’re crazy about
Philip.”
Mila lowered her head. “Guilty as
charged.”
“You’re allowed to have feelings for the
man. It’s a good thing.” Amy grinned, her hands busy pouring shots and mixing
drinks. “Now, get out of here before I get my orders mixed up.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Reluctantly,
Mila headed for the exit.
Her reluctance disappeared the minute
she was outside and saw Philip standing by the curb, waiting for her. His back
was towards her, and she allowed herself a moment to take him in. God, the man
was handsome. At six feet two, Philip managed to still be taller than Mila when
she was wearing heels, which was something very few men could do. And that
wasn’t his only asset. With broad shoulders that were pure muscle, a cinched
waste, and abs one could use as a washboard, Philip’s body could make a sinner
out of a nun. And if that weren’t enough, his face was just as handsome as the
rest of him.
As if sensing her looking at him, Philip
turned around. “Hey, baby. I didn’t hear you sneak up on me.” He flashed her a
smile.
“I didn’t. I was just—”
He didn’t let her finish, swooping her
into his arms and locking his lips with hers. “You were just what?” He asked,
finally pulling away from her.
“I was just about to say hi,” she managed,
unable to take her eyes off him. God, she loved his face—it was handsome, yet
open and kind, with baby blues that made her heart melt, sensual lips that
drove her crazy with passionate kisses, a perfectly straight nose, and a strong
jaw that could make even the most independent woman wish to have a man like
Philip Barrett as her knight in shining armor.
“We’d better get going. We’re going to
be late.” He motioned at his car, waiting for them by the curb.
As usual, there was a driver behind the
wheel of the black Mercedes-Benz. Philip opened the door for Mila and once she
was comfortably settled inside, closed the door behind her. The chauffer
respectfully held the car door open on the other side for Philip to join her.
Once inside the car, Mila’s eyes widened
at the sight of a huge bouquet—it had to be at least two dozen long-stemmed red
roses.
“Happy anniversary,” Philip murmured
into her ear, putting the flowers onto her lap.
Mila blinked, both elated and
embarrassed. Instantly, she remembered—tonight was exactly six months since
they had started seeing each other. How could she have forgotten? Liar, she
caught herself. She remembered it perfectly, but she was afraid to admit it,
even to herself, for fear that Philip might forget. Still, that didn’t stop her
from choosing her outfit carefully for tonight’s outing—the little black dress
she had on would not fail her even in the most formal of restaurants. And the
red silk lingerie number she had stowed away in her bedroom was guaranteed to
drive Philip wild at the end of the night.
“Step on it, Joe,” Philip instructed his
driver. “We have reservations at Per Se.”
“How fancy!” Mila exclaimed with
delight.
“Only the best for my girl.”
Approximately thirty minutes later, Mila
and Philip were seated behind the best table at Per Se with the perfect view of
Columbus Circle and Central Park.
“Your waiter will be right with you.”
The host bowed deferentially to Philip before taking his leave. This was no
surprise—no matter what restaurant they went to, Philip always got the best
treatment and deservedly so—making the top one hundred most successful
entrepreneurs of the year list in
Forbes
carried a certain degree of
respect.
“Champagne?” Philip asked.
“That’d be perfect.” Mila smiled,
surveying the room. She had dressed carefully—not wanting to be overdressed,
yet prepared for any place where Philip might take her. The little black dress
she’d picked up on a sales rack at one of the Village designer boutiques was
tastefully understated, yet sexy. She was glad to see she stood out in the sea
of sequins and long gowns.
Philip ordered champagne and then they
placed their orders with the waiter.
After the waiter had brought a bottle of
Veuve Clicquot, Philip raised his glass. “To the most wonderful six months of
my life and to many more to come. Happy anniversary, Mila.”
Mila clinked her glass against Philip’s.
“Happy anniversary,” she whispered, hoping she didn’t sound choked-up. At times
she felt the need to pinch herself to make sure her relationship with Philip
was real.
“So, how are things at work?” Philip
asked, once the waiter had brought out the first course—an intricate
arrangement of a rare crab variety garnished with caviar.
“Good. Busy, but good.” Mila tasted the
appetizer. “Mmm, this is delicious,” she said, hoping to steer the conversation
away from the topic of work. She appreciated Philip’s interest, but when it
came to her business she was determined to stand on her own two feet.
“You’re working very long hours,” Philip
observed.
“Yes, well, that’s the life of an
entrepreneur.” She shrugged. “You know that.”
“I do,” Philip consented. “But I also
know how important it is to allocate resources efficiently. Have you thought
about hiring additional staff, like we talked about?”
“I know a thing or two about efficiencies
too,” Mila said. “Amy and I are assessing the staffing coverage. We just
recently hired two busboys.”
“You don’t have to get defensive about
it.”
“I’m not. I just don’t see why you have
to bring it up now. I thought we were celebrating. I don’t want to talk about
work right now.”
“We are celebrating. And the reason I
bring it up is that it’s part of my anniversary gift.” Philip paused. “I’d like
to extend a loan to you and Amy, so you could hire more help and expand. I
noticed a storefront just opened up next to Amy and Mila’s—it’s prime real
estate and it won’t stay vacant for long. I happen to know the property owner,
and I can get you excellent lease terms. But we have to move fast.”
Mila felt her guard go up. “Expand?
Don’t you think that’s moving a bit fast? Yes, things are going well, but I
don’t know if we want to expand so soon.”
“The place is packed every night. It’s
practically bursting at the seams—now is the perfect time. Strike the iron
while it’s hot.” He winked at her, piercing a piece of crab with his fork and
popping it into his mouth. “Mmm, this is delicious.”
Mila pushed her plate away, swallowing
hard. She’d lost her appetite. “Philip, it’s not that I don’t appreciate it,
but I can’t accept your offer. This is something I must do on my own.”
Philip nodded, the breathtaking blue of
his eyes focusing on Mila’s. He reached for her hand and pressed it to his
lips. “I understand.”
“Good. Thank you for that.” Mila was
surprised by the ease of her victory. Resisting Philip was no small task—he
always found a way to win an argument. That’s probably why he was so successful
in business. And it wasn’t as though Mila didn’t appreciate his offer—it was a
very generous offer—and she didn’t want to seem ungrateful by rejecting it. But
for the first time in her life she had managed to amount to something without a
man’s help and she wasn’t going to screw it up. She had made too many mistakes
relying on men to get her places, and she’d learned the hard way that wasn’t
the way. Mila twirled a loose hair strand between her fingers and took a long
swallow of champagne to chase the memories away. Philip didn’t know about her
past. She’d have to tell him one day, but right now she just wanted to enjoy
their celebratory dinner.
Philip raised his glass. Mila was very
good about keeping her emotions under wraps because he didn’t seem to notice
the turmoil inside her. “I understand completely,” he said, “but Mila, darling,
I must admit the reason I’m interested in investing in your bar is purely
selfish—”
“It’s not just my bar, Philip. Amy and I
are partners. Amy owns the majority share,” Mila reminded him.
“I’m aware of that and I’d love to hear
Amy’s thoughts on this. I doubt she’ll turn me down,” Philip countered, his
eyes twinkling—it wasn’t a flirtatious twinkle, but that of a venturesome
businessman determined to get his end of the bargain. “Amy and Mila’s has great
potential and I’d like to help you both realize it and partake in the profits.
Why should some random bank capitalize on it instead?”
Mila shook her head. “Somehow our banker
wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic when Amy and I approached him for a loan
increase.”
“You’ve applied for a loan increase?”
“We didn’t file any of the paperwork
yet, but we had a preliminary conversation, just to see where we stand.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Philip looked
genuinely hurt. “If the idea of me investing bothers you so much, I could’ve at
least gotten you better terms with another bank.”
“That’s exactly why. Please,” Mila
begged him. “Please, don’t think I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do. I
do. But I must do this on my own.” Mila paused. “What we have together is
important to me and I don’t want business to come between us.”
Philip sighed. “Did anyone ever tell you
you’re as stubborn as you’re beautiful?”
“Not until now.” Mila grinned, happy to
see Philip’s feelings weren’t hurt.
“Look, believe it or not, but I know
exactly what you’re going through.”
Mila eyed him dubiously, but decided to
remain silent.
“Yes, I do, young lady.” Philip
intercepted her gaze. “I too have a hard time accepting help from family and
friends. I don’t mean to play the part of a poor little rich boy, but the fact
of the matter is that my family’s money has put certain expectations on me. My
father is a successful financier, so I was expected to follow in his
footsteps—join the family firm and all that good stuff. It bothered me
immensely. I wanted to make it on my own and to show everyone that I was more
than my father’s son who just happened to be born into the family fortune. I saw
energy as the new frontier and I was right. I worked for different companies
learning the business and when the right opportunity to strike out on my own
came up, I was ready to pounce on it. Just like you, I went to a bank and asked
for a loan. The terms they offered me were highway robbery, but I was ready to
accept, thankful for being given a chance. That’s when my father called me and
offered me a loan. The terms were way better than the bank’s, but they were
still fair terms, according to the industry rates at the time.”
“How did your father know you were
looking for a loan?” Mila asked, no longer caring if the point of Philip’s
story was to get her to cave in. He rarely talked about his business, and she
was curious to learn more about him.