No Choice (15 page)

“You sure, baby? Are you feeling okay enough to go in to the office?” He walked back up to me.

“Yes. Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you.”

“I’m not concerned about that. I just want you happy.”

“Thanks. Now, let’s get this show on the road before we’re late,” I said before pulling his hand and rushing out of the room.

“Damn, Nat. Slow down, I don’t want you hurt. As sexy as those heels are, don’t you think they’re too high?”

“I’m good. You don’t need to worry. I’ll be careful,” I said just as I tripped on the foyer rug. I didn’t fall, but Cameron made it seem like I’d broken a leg.

“Nat! Didn’t I say these heels were dangerous?” he yelled.

“The rug was my problem. Seriously, I didn’t even fall. I just tripped.”

“Just be careful,” he grumbled.

Once we were in the office, it was all business. We worked tirelessly until two in the afternoon when Cameron came out of his office in a frenzy.

“Shit, babe. Did you eat lunch? I forgot to feed you.”

“I snacked on some carrot sticks with hummus, and I ordered us some takeout. It should be here in about five minutes,” I said with a roll of my eyes.

“Good. I’m driving you crazy already, and it’s only been one week since you told me.”

“It’s okay. You’ve been protective since we started dating. Just lighten up. I knew how to take care of myself before I was pregnant. When I’m as large as our house, then you can go into crazy mode.”

“Fine, because I will,” he stated before stealing a kiss and then walking back into his office.

The rest of the day was extremely busy. There were three calls he had to take and some papers he needed to review. I drafted up a couple of documents and planned his schedule. We were almost ready to go when I answered a call I’d wished I hadn’t.

“Cameron James’s office,” I said cheerfully.

“Bitch, don’t sound so happy. You weren’t supposed to marry him. I don’t want him happy. I want him dead. The first time didn’t work. Be prepared to be a widow.”

The male caller hung up, and I was shaking. I didn’t move the receiver from my ear. I sat still and stared blankly until Cameron finally shook me out of my trance.

“Nat! What’s the matter? Baby, what’s wrong?” he frantically shouted.

“Cam…” I murmured as tears streamed down my face.

The elevator chimed, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Tim was rushing to us.

“Something’s wrong with her.”

“Yeah. She just received a death threat for you,” Tim growled.

Cam picked me up and tucked me in his arms. “What happened?” he asked Tim.

“You know we’ve been monitoring the incoming calls until we know they’re safe. This one was a guy telling her to be prepared to be a widow. He’s the one who cut your brakes. The team is already checking the underground garage before we leave, and I ran a trace. The only thing I could tell was that the trace pinged him at a cell tower two miles away.”

Tim’s walkie-talkie went off. “Sir, it’s all clear, and we’ve got a name.”

“Cam, take her back to the house, and we’ll take care of the fuck.”

“Who is it?” I snarled.

“Clint, what’s the name?”

Clint said through the walkie-talkie, “It’s Martin Mann.”

“That fucking perverted professor. I’ll kill him.”

“You know the guy?”

“Yeah, he tried to fail Vanessa for not submitting to his advances. That’s why I was there, and I dealt with the situation. He was fired and arrested.”

“What? And no one told me?” Tim looked more crazed then before. He punched the wall before storming out.

“Shit. I totally forgot that he’s in love with Van. I told the wrong motherfucker. That ex-soldier will gut that bastard.”

“So that’s why you were there visiting her?”

“Did you have him as a teacher, babe?”

“No. He started after I took that Math class, but I’d seen him around campus. He was a little creepy, in my opinion.”

“You happen to be an excellent judge of character. You picked me, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” I laughed in between tears. He picked me up as Clint walked up to help us get to safety.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll deal with him, and you’ll be safe.”

Cam drove us back to the house with two vehicles in front and behind us. It was insane. I felt like I was in some nightmare. I was so scared, I was shaking. We got to the house, and thankfully the compound was well protected. We entered it, and I felt the safeness of it.

Cam carried me into the house with the men surrounding him. Once we were inside, he took me straight up to our room.

“Babe, I’ll be right back. I’m going to send Emmy or Vanu
p
to stay with you.”

“No, don’t go, Cam! He could kill you,” I cried.

“Natalie, I’m just going downstairs to make some calls. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got a team for a reason, sweetheart. I wouldn’t let you become a widow.”

Cam’s mouth was on me and pinning me to the bed. I guess he wasn’t in that much of a hurry to leave me because before I knew it, we were naked and he was inside of me, rocking my world. The last thing I remembered before I fell into a fitful sleep was his whisper. “I love you, Nat.”

I was feeling murderous. This bastard threatened my woman. I didn’t care if the threat was meant for me—it still hurt her. She was distraught, and he’d pay for that. My blood ran cold when I thought about how he’d escaped notice. I didn’t even think of him in my possible enemies, and I wasn’t even sure why not. Since the accident was at home in Seattle, I thought it’d been someone local, not some country boy from the Midwest.

I went downstairs when my phone went off. It was the alarm for the new house. We were moving in this weekend, and the painters had just finished two days ago so there shouldn’t be anyone in there.

I found my dad and asked, “Dad, can you keep an eye on Nat? The alarm for the house was tripped.”

“Sure, son, you just be careful. It could be that crazy bastard. Van hasn’t heard from Tim yet since he yelled at her before you got here. Take some of the guys with you.”

“I will. Thanks.” I gave my dad a hug, and a few minutes later we were on our way to the house. I was two minutes away from the new house when I heard the loud boom and saw flames shooting high into the sky. Clint immediately called 911, and I called for Tim. He still didn’t answer, and I prayed to God that he wasn’t in there. For some reason, I knew this had to do with Mann.

We pulled up to the open gate, and the house was engulfed in flames. That’s when I saw him. Tim was crawling away from the burning house. He didn’t look like he was on fire. We ran up on him, and he was bleeding from his side. Clint was leaning over him, trying to stop the bleeding.

“He’s armed,” he groaned. I looked up to see a stumbling Mann coming down the front stairs pointing his gun at me.

“You! You need to die. You ruined me for that little whore,” he snarled as his hand gripped the gun tighter. I looked down at Clint’s back and could see his gun sticking out of his waistband. It was my only chance. So without thinking, I grabbed it and fired as I ducked. He fell immediately. I breathed a sigh of relief as he went down. The sirens were heard a few seconds later. All I could think about was getting Tim to the hospital.

The ambulance tended to him and said even with the loss of blood, he looked like he would recover. The police, who responded to the alarm first, questioned me about Mann. A few minutes later, the detective on the case made his appearance. They took my statement and Clint’s, then we were free to go. I made the call to my dad so he could deal with getting Van to the hospital. He told me Nat was still sleeping.

“Leave her, Dad. I’m on my way back right now,” I said.

I just wanted to go back home and see my woman. I was going to have to break the news to her that we didn’t have a new house anymore.

I spent the next two days getting scolded by my wife, and I feared for my kids. Shit. She was going to be a stern momma. I made it up to her, though. I ate her out for an hour every time her ass freaked about me going to work.

The next morning after the fire, we had a doctor’s appointment for the baby, but the instant I walked into that doc’s office, I walked her ass right back out. Hell if I was going to let a six foot, built, young, and good-looking doc with a dick putting his fingers inside my woman.

“You’re insane. What’s the big deal?”

“Your pussy’s mine. I’m the only man to be in it. I want to keep it that way. End of story. I’ll find us a new doc without a cock.”

“Whatever, she may be into chicks. Then what are you going to do?”

“I won’t care.”

“Typical guy.”

“Honey, that’s not what I meant. I know you don’t like women, so if a woman wants you, it’s no big deal. I’m not into two females. I’d be jealous as fuck. Fuck it, we’ll find a married woman doc with kids,” I growled.

The search lasted a couple of days, but we found a good one. She wasn’t married, but she liked men. Now that we had that settled, we managed to select an assistant for me. He was just out of college and getting into the business world. He wanted the experience so was willing to learn all he could. Ray Russell was the best candidate for the job.

It was his first day, but Ray was about to get his ass fired after I caught him staring at my wife as she walked out of my office.

“Man, Natalie is beautiful,” he said after watching her walk away. I wanted to knock him out for calling her by her name after his ass ogled my wife.

“Yes, she is.
Natalie
is off limits, if you don’t want to end up missing,” I snarled.

“Sorry. I didn’t know you were that kind of boss.” He sounded pissed.

“What kind of boss?”

“The kind who’s married but hooks up with his assistant. Is that why you need a replacement?” he sneered angrily.

I grabbed the framed photo from the desk and turned it to him. He colored immediately.

“I’m sorry…” he said sheepishly.

“No. It’s good. You have a good sense of morals, but if you don’t keep your eyes in your head where my wife is concerned, I’ll break your jaw.”

“She’s your wife? Wow.”

“Yes, she is, and before you ask, she doesn’t have a sister.”

“Cool.”

Nat knocked on the door and brought us some drinks. “Thanks, Natalie,” I said.

“Thank you, Mrs. James,” the boy said.
He learns quickly
, I thought.

That was the last conversation I had to have with him where Natalie was concerned, but I jealously fucked her in my office that day. I couldn’t help it, and she enjoyed riding me hard in my desk chair.

The next two months went by in a hurry. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. My problem people had been dealt with in one way or another, but I didn’t hear from her parents or her high school boyfriend, George. He was out for my woman. I was sure he wouldn’t just give up when they were so determined before we married. I’d hired more guys after the last battle of assholes with Mann. Nat thought I was paranoid, but she had no idea what she meant to me. Either that or her ass didn’t take the possible threat of danger that seriously. Either way, I didn’t give a fuck. I laid down the law, and that was the way it was going to be.

She started doing her charity shit last week and was all smiles, despite her ass giving me crap about Clint following her like a shadow.

We still hadn’t picked a house yet. She was feeling jinxed about it, so my father made a suggestion that was pretty good.

“Why don’t you two build a house on the estate? It’s well secured, and there is more than enough room.”

I saw the gleam in Nat’s eye, and I knew she liked that idea. She really loved being loved by my family. This was something that was missing for her, so if this was what she wanted, I was good with it. Living close to my family never bothered me before,and he was righ
t
;
there was plenty of room on the estate for all of us to build large, individual homes.

“What do you think, baby?” I asked kindly, letting her know that it was cool with me.

“I like it. When I’m here, I feel safe.”

“Great. We can have a construction crew start with plans tomorrow for you. We don’t have a great deal of time before my grandbaby makes an appearance. I’m sure you’d like to take the baby to your new home when it’s time,” my dad said.

“True, but I don’t want you stressing Natalie. Rest, pick out colors for rooms and shit like that. Remember we can always change the color if you don’t like it later, but I don’t want you to work too hard. Understood?”

“Yes,” she squealed.

“Totally cool. We’ll be neighbors,” Van said. She and Tim had gotten married last week. They should’ve gotten married last month, but Tim was still recovering. They moved into the house they’d picked— or rather stole—from us, which wasn’t far from the estate.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Hey, beautiful.” I heard the voice, but I wasn’t sure it was real. It couldn’t be. It had been four months since my mother called, so I didn’t expect
him
to call.

“What do you want, George?”

“What do I want? I want what is owed to me.”

“Owed to you? I owe you nothing.”

“No. Your parents do, and you’re my payment. You can meet me at the hotel on Grand.”

“Are you freaking nuts? I won’t be doing any such thing. Goodbye.”

“Wait!” he shouted.

“What?” I snarled.

“The thing is, my pretty Natalie, I’ve got something that could send your parents to prison for the next ten years, and you too.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes. I do.”

“It doesn’t matter. Let them rot. I’ve never done anything wrong.”

“You could be held accountable. Everything is in your name.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I don’t have to listen to this.”

“Listen, Natalie. I’ll have your ass naked. I don’t care if you have a husband. I’ll send him a video with you on your knees.”

“Go fuck yourself!” I shouted before I hung up the phone. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t. My phone started ringing again, and I just let it.

I needed to go into the city to get some work done for the charity drive that was tomorrow. Clint was driving me, so I needed to hurry. He had some things to do for Tim while I was working, then he would be back to pick me up or he’d send one of the others to do it.

The rest of the day had flown by as I worked at preparing some care packages. Clint told me he was running behind and for me to wait for him in the building. I was suddenly feeling really hot, so I stepped out back for some breeze. I couldn’t have been out there for more than two minutes before I walked back in, and he was standing there waiting for me with a gun.

“George, what are you doing here?” I said with my voice trembling.

“What am I doing here? Didn’t I tell you I was going to get what I wanted from you?”

I shook in fear. I couldn’t believe he was here. The tears automatically came down my face.

“Bitch, don’t cry. I’m sure you drop to your knees for your husband for more jewelry.”

He started moving closer as I backed away. All my concern was for the baby. I didn’t think he was going to let me live after he took what he wanted. Cam’s face came into my head. I was never going to see him again. This couldn’t be real. I needed my Cam.

“Come here.”

I started to move toward the man when all of a sudden I saw a uniformed officer crawling on the floor. In a matter of a second, I had to change my direction so George wouldn’t notice my change of demeanor. Relief washed through me, even though I was still in danger.

“Damn it! Come here, Natalie,” George roared. I didn’t know if I should still come to him or try to get away, but I’d seen the officer give me a slight nod.

I moved closer to him when he started to relax his stance. Then I heard the sound of electric jolts and watched George go down shaking like a flag in the wind. He dropped his gun, and the police came out of nowhere and were on him. I nearly fell to the ground before the officer ran up to me.

“Are you okay, Mrs. James?”

“Yes.”

“How did you get here so fast?” I was curious. I didn’t get a chance to call for help.

“Because I called them,” stated the angry voice of my husband.

I knew he was mad at me, but I didn’t care. I just wanted him to hold me, so I ran into his arms.

“Cam!” I sobbed as he wrapped his arms tightly around me. He took me back to the truck, and we watched as they loaded George into the back of the car. He looked like he wanted to rip my head off. Cam blocked me from George’s view and joined me in the back.

“Damn it, Natalie. Why didn’t you tell me he called you? We almost missed his call. We would’ve been too late.”

“I was afraid you’d find out and kill him.”

“I thought about it this morning, but I was afraid he’d shoot you before I got a chance to take him out.”

“Wait. How did you know he’d come looking for me and that he called?”
Was he tracking my phone?

“We’ve been tracking his calls.”

“Why?”

“Because you refused to surrender to his demands, we knew he’d come after you. The fact is, he did have proof. They forged your name on numerous legal documents. Your scholarship monies you’d won were going into your parents’ account, but they would send you half.”

“Why would they do that? They aren’t even married anymore, and they can’t stand each other.”

“Because they wanted money. Their lifestyle was failing, and they hatched a plan.”

“If they didn’t have any money, then why didn’t they want me to work?”

“One of your scholarships would’ve been taken away if you worked. They’d been sent a warning, and that’s why you’d been forced to quit.”

“That explains a lot, except for how you knew about it.”

“I found out just the day before our wedding, and I didn’t want to ruin our day. After the shit with Mann, I just wanted some peace,” he justified.

“That I understand. It’s what I’ve wanted for so long.”

“Hopefully we’re done with all the drama, and we can focus on our baby,” he said as he rubbed my small belly.

“What about my parents?”

“They were arrested just two minutes after Foley was. The police had enough evidence, but Foley made it easier for the police to nail them.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. They lost my love so long ago that I’d just wanted them out of my life. Now, it was finally happening.

“Do you think I’ll have to testify?”

“There is a chance, baby. I wouldn’t rule it out at all.” I felt like I just got kicked. I didn’t want to be involved in any of this. Cam and my baby were the only things I wanted to be concerned about. I loved my husband, and even with his busy schedule, he was always looking out for me. He was able to come to my aid when I needed it the most.

I squeezed him hard because I needed it, and he complied.