GRAEME UNCAGED: Part One (Taming the Billionaire Book 2) (8 page)

“Probably only after your money, honey,” sneered William. “I’m sure most of those foreign riders don’t have your resources. He’s just looking for another patron.”

“Not likely, he’s as rich as Daddy and he’s a prince,” laughed Louisa.

“So there is no way you’ll be coming after me for any child support?”

They could hear the relief in William’s voice.

“You’ll never hear from me again, William.”

“Well, my father has his legal team looking over the pre-nup, and if there is a way for us to break it, Louisa, you know he’s going to try. He said I’m probably entitled to half the value of our family home even if it is in your name only, and that is about five million if we count the one we live in now. He said it would be pushing it to go after half the new one, since it’s being renovated and I never lived there.”

“Your father should be careful,” said Rodriguez into the phone. “He is in a very precarious position and both Graeme Browning and I are ready to take advantage of that.”

“Who are you, the boyfriend?”

“The fiancé.”

“How do you know my father has financial difficulties?”

“Financial gossip travels worldwide, William,” said Louisa briskly. “Now, we’re going to serve you and your solicitor today, Geraldine Grey is getting the first court date available. Let’s just get it handled.”

“Eh, you know my grandmother and father control my finances, so unless he pays the legal bills, I’m stuck, and he won’t hesitate to come after you anyway he can. He mentioned we’re going to want DNA tests.”

“Louisa will demand the same from Maxine,” interjected Rodriguez.

“Why would she do that? Maxine will freak!”    

“Of course, if you do, we will, and it will get very ugly, the tabloids will love it and dig up all manner of dirt against your girlfriend. I’m sure she will find it very stressful,” said Geraldine Grey calmly.

“There’s no dirt to dig up, she’s so sweet. I’m her only indiscretion!” wailed William.

“The tabloids will simply invent some scandal, William and present it as conjecture, but the mud will stick to her,” said Louisa.

“It will drag this whole mess out, William. And I have no problem with DNA tests. I’ll supply you with one immediately,” said Rodriguez calmly.

Geraldine Grey interjected.

“Mr. and Mrs. Spenser, since you both committed adultery, there is another way I can process this divorce very quickly, and the paternity of the two unborn children involved will never be raised in public.”

“What?  You can save Maxine any embarrassment?” exclaimed William.

“Yes, Mr. Spenser, I can save Maxine any embarrassment. We can apply for a divorce because of unreasonable behaviour. You drink too much, Mrs. Spenser has been too involved with her riding to be the kind of wife you expected.

“You both consent. I did have a word with a judge I’m friendly with. I can get this into Court very quickly, and probably get your decree nisi within a couple of weeks. Then you will have to wait for six weeks to get your decree absolute.”

“Smashing, that would work for me, and you too, Louisa,” said William.

“How soon after that can we remarry?” asked Louisa.

“Fifteen days, if you apply for your marriage license the day you get your decree absolute.”

“Ms. Grey, I want to marry Louisa before my son is born. I will triple your usual fee if you can get us into Court within one week.”

Geraldine Grey swallowed and winked. “Senor de Velaquado, I can’t promise, but I will do my best...”

“Please try, Ms. Grey,” begged William. “I’ll do and say
anything
...”

“I will try, Mr. Spenser. In the meantime, I’ll prepare all the papers and you will sign a quit-claim against any and all of your wife’s assets.”

“Oh, hell, if I do that my father will hit the ceiling. But your father’s said I’m getting nothing anyway? I need
something,
Louisa. I need to buy a house for Maxine and the baby.”

“Tell you what, William,” said Rodriguez. “I have a couple of houses here in London. I’ll let you buy one for a very reasonable sum.”

“I haven’t got
any
money, and Grandmother won’t give me any of my trust fund, especially with the mess Father’s created. She thinks he’ll just get it from me to keep his creditors at bay.”

“I have a house in Notting Hill that is actually vacant at the moment, between tenants,” said Rodriguez.

“Just sign everything the solicitor sends you and you can have it for Ten Pounds.”

“What if Maxine doesn’t like it?” whined William.

“Sell it and buy her another one she does like with the proceeds,” said Louisa practically.

“Why doesn’t William come to my office this afternoon at four,” said Geraldine, biting back her amusement, “and he and I can go over the papers. Perhaps if he brings Maxine with him, I can give him the address to this house and they can go and see it.”

“I’ll text you the address so you can see it before you come here. ‘Riguez will send a key over to your office,” said Louisa practically. “Goodbye.” And she hung up.

“So, I’ll draw up the papers as necessary, get William to sign, and have you come in after he’s left to sign, get them entered to the Courts tomorrow morning. I was not going to say so in front of Mr. Spenser, but I already have a tentative date for next Monday, and six weeks from then you should be free to get your marriage license.  You don’t have to triple my fee, Senor de Velaquado, but thank you for the offer.”

“My London solicitor will send you details of the property immediately, so you can have the offer to purchase ready for William to sign at the same time,” smiled the Espagnolian. “And I
will
triple your fee. 

Geraldine Grey smiled. “Thank you. You think of everything, Sir, don’t you?”

“When can we be married under English law?” asked Rodriguez.

“In England? Eight weeks and one day from Monday, if William’s father doesn’t complicated things.”

“We will be married in Espagnolia. I can get special dispensation to waive the twenty one day waiting period.  If we marry there we can be wed the middle of December, before Christmas. I want to be married before our child is born,” explained Rodriguez. “It will be much simpler for succession purposes, inheritances. My Uncle Philippe Miguel does not need any more scandal. He has enough with his son-in-law.”

“Succession?” asked Geraldine.

“My uncle is King Philippe Miguel of Espagnolia. My mother is his sister. I will shortly be seventh in line for the throne and our son, eighth. I’m also twenty first in line for the Spanish throne, through my father’s family,” explained Rodriguez.

“Is there any problem with Louisa wearing an engagement ring now?” he asked.

“None,” said the solicitor weakly.

The happy couple went off to Cartier.

Rodriguez spoke seriously to Louisa in the taxi.

“Louisa, my darling, I was impressed with the way you handled that worm William on the telephone, but I must warn you that if you ever use that condescending tone of voice to me, I shall turn you over my knee and spank you.”

Louisa giggled.

“I might find that fun, ‘Riguez. But seriously, Sir, I respect you and would never use that tone of voice to you, even in exasperation or anger. But William, William I have only distain for, especially now.”

“I am happy to hear that, Louisa. You would not like the consequences if you are disrespectful. I will always treat you will respect, also.”

“Can I spank you if you don’t?” she asked flirtatiously.

“I think not, baby…remember I am in charge…” But he kissed her hard, to take the sting out of his words.

Louisa smiled to herself. This marriage definitely had interesting possibilities. She’d just read a scandalous best seller, and she was intrigued with the idea of being spanked…especially if ‘Riguez got some of those silver balls…

SIX

By eleven o’clock the same morning, John Spenser was furious. He’d received three calls, one after the other, before ten o’clock, one from each of his three principal financiers to inform him that his loans had been taken over by Browning Mercantile Bank.

Then he got the call from his Estate Agent saying that the entire rental portfolio he’d put on the market was gone, to a company called Jewel’s Properties. The deposit cheque was drawn on Browning Mercantile Bank.

The principal of Jewel’s Properties had pointed out in writing the illegality of selling the properties for less than the mortgaged value and not paying off the debt. The deal was for exactly what John Spenser had borrowed against the rental portfolio. Not a penny more, not a penny less, and the lenders had already been advised that Browning Mortgage Corporation would be assuming the debt and retiring the existing liens.

Next, his Legal Counsel had finished looking at his son’s pre-nup agreement and had concluded there was no way it could be broken.

They pointed out the clause that negated William’s right to any value in the couple’s principal residence, the clause that William had initialed. 

John looked out the open door to his office and saw William bent over Maxine’s desk, whispering in her ear.

If only the stupid little bugger had at least been discreet, at least used a condom...

John could have taken his time and siphoned some money from the measly couple of million that William was managing for Louisa if his son hadn’t gotten Maxine pregnant.

The only good thing was, this silly little bitch was easy to control, which he’d already proved to himself and to her for the last several months, and she didn’t have a father who could pull John’s strings.

Her father was a retired postman, not one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in England.

Yes, Maxine had shown John Spenser she was as anxious to please him as she was his son…whenever John snapped his fingers.

Maxine was very compliant and would drop to her knees anytime, anywhere for him. He’d enjoyed fucking her on his desk while William was holding a meeting in the boardroom next door…

It had been a stroke of genius, making her seduce William and fuck him as well. John didn’t know which of the two Spenser men had fathered her child, but it didn’t matter to him. The child would eventually inherit the family fortune.
If there was any fortune left
, he reflected bitterly.

John Spenser pressed his intercom and instructed his P.A. to get Graeme Browning on the telephone.

“What are you calling about, John?” said Graeme amicably.

“You’ve bought up my loans,” spat John.

“Ah, yes...”

“And funded some two penny company to buy my rental properties.”

“Which are now fully mortgaged to a subsidiary of my Bank,” agreed Graeme. “We bought up the mortgages as well as your major loans.

“So I’ve been informed. I realize nothing from the sale,” snarled Spenser. “I was counting on at least Five Million in my pocket.”

“No. My mortgage company was astute enough to see through the con you were trying to pull with your previous lenders, and we prevented that from occurring. I refinanced them with my mortgage arm in case you wanted to repurchase part of the portfolio once you’re over this spate of bad luck...”

“That was thoughtful of you,” sneered John Spenser sarcastically.  

“Oh, those other loans I picked up are all demand loans aren’t they?” continued Graeme as if John had not spoken.

“Are you going to call them?”

“Only if you’re unreasonable, John. We see how you got into this mess, and the Bank is happy to work with you to help you to recover your former prosperity.”

“Unreasonable, who said I would be unreasonable?”

“William, actually. He thinks you are will attempt to hold Louisa to ransom over this divorce.”

“The idiot, to tell you that!”

“I know, he must take after his mother, John. He certainly hasn’t your brains or savoir faire. Anyway, if this divorce doesn’t go through the Courts quickly and painlessly, I will consider it unreasonable....”

John Spenser knew when he was beaten. He sighed heavily. “I’m sure the divorce will proceed quickly. William needs to marry Maxine. Uh, her mother threatened to go to the tabloids with some salacious details if he doesn’t, and if that happens....”

“Your mother would cut both of you off without a penny,” finished Graeme. “So, John, you’re quite correct. He does need to marry Maxine, for your sake...neither your wife nor your mother would like those
salacious
details revealed, would they?”

John Spenser swallowed hard.

They didn’t know, they couldn’t know, could they?

“And John? May I suggest you have a quiet chat with the head of my Security Department? He found out something about your stockbroker that may help you recoup some of your losses, maybe as much as Ten Million? That will just about pay off the note on the property your mother
didn’t
sign off on. Eradicate the possibility of fraud charges...”