Authors: Shelia M. Goss
Ruthless (3 page)
Chapter 4
David's meeting with his Hong Kong investors ended on a high note. The legal papers had been signed, and he was well on his way to becoming the owner of one of the largest television stations in the region. He sat back in the brown leather seat on his private jet as it glided through the sky, headed back to the United States.
He watched as his staff celebrated their triumph by popping the cork on a bottle of some expensive champagne. David's plan to become global was quickly becoming a reality. If only he could get his personal life in check.
David had been married a couple of times. Each time, the marriage ended in divorce. His two ex-wives had married him mostly for the lifestyle he provided them, but David didn't seem to mind, because they were eye candy and catered to his every need. Once they stopped catering to him, David found a way to get rid of them. Both of his ex-wives had got nice divorce settlements, and since they shared children, they received generous child support payments. Due to David's busy schedule, he rarely spent time with any of his children, but he made sure they were well taken care of. Neither his kids nor his ex-wives would ever be accused of living the life of paupers.
David loved beautiful women, but none could compare to the visions of Sheba that seemed to be permanently implanted in his mind. She was the wife of one of his directors. A man he trusted and admired. Uriah was the only man on earth that he actually envied.
“Mr. King, I just received a message from one of my contacts in Afghanistan. Now is the time for us to make our presence known in the region,” said Wade Martin, one of the members of David's staff.
“Wade, who do you suggest we send over to set up the satellite office?”
“Sir, I can give you an answer by the end of the day.” Wade turned on his laptop and began to work.
David, tired from lack of sleep, closed his eyes. He would listen to Wade's suggestion, but in the end, he would make the final call. Opening up a satellite office in the Middle East was something that hadn't been done by any of his American competitors. His would be a first. Triumph swept across David's face in the form of a smile just before he drifted off to sleep.
David had a hands-on approach. Although he hired people who were good at what they did, in the end, he made the final business decisions. David started from humble beginnings. His family lived on a farm in Grand Cane, Louisiana. His father's employer took a liking to David and hired him to work at his locally owned newspaper after school. He also allowed David to meet some influential people and introduced him to the world of the rich. Although David's father provided for his family, and neither David nor any of his brothers went hungry, David wanted more. Seeing how some other people lived sparked his desire to do more. He would do whatever he could to make life better for his family.
David worked hard to keep his grades up and received a full scholarship to attend Louisiana State University. David had a double major in business and technology. When the owner of the newspaper in his hometown died, his kids were quick to sell the paper. David took out a loan and purchased it. Before long, he was acquiring newspapers that had found themselves in financial trouble across the region.
He used his technology experience and brought the newspapers up to date, taking advantage of the new eraâwhich included the Internet. Not satisfied with just acquiring newspapers, David branched out into other media, adding television stations to his roster. David's company soon became DM King Media, and the rest, as they say, was history.
David's eyes flew open when the plane hit a bout of turbulence, waking him out of his slumber. The pilot's voice sounded over the intercom. “We're trying to go above the storm clouds, so please make sure your seat belts are buckled. We should be around them in about five minutes.”
David's staff did as they'd been told. David knew he would not get any more sleep. The five staff members were all seated and buckled up. Wade sat with his laptop on his lap, still working diligently.
David was very careful about his inner circle. Each one of the people here served a purpose. Being in the type of business David was in, he had to feel like he trusted the person he hired, or else theirs would be a short-lived relationship.
Several people had been trying to undermine him and buy him out, but he would not sell any part of his company. He would revamp the way he did things before he would sell to his competitors. His goal was to never lay off folks, but if during the reorg, it was inevitable, he made sure they were given nice severance packages to tide them over until they could find other jobs.
His employees thought David was a fair and generous boss, but they also knew that he could be shrewd and that he expected his employees to be dedicated and to work just as hard as he would in their positions. Because of the level of respect David paid his employees, they didn't mind putting in the hard work and hours it sometimes took to keep David appeased.
“You can now unbuckle your seat belts. It should be smooth sailing from here on out,” the pilot said over the intercom.
David released his seat belt and went over to his desk. He hit a button, and the computer monitor eased its way up. His business mind was always working, so he spent the rest of the flight planning his next move in the Afghanistan market. It would take some doing, but if it was done rightâand with the right officials palmed American moneyâhe would be able to get his satellite office set up.
“Wade, do you have any names for me?” David asked.
Wade got out of his seat and took a seat near David. He opened up his notepad. “I've narrowed it down to Blake Mitchell, Simon Crenshaw, and Miguel Nardin. I had one other person, but he's been with the company only a year, so I'm not sure if you want to consider him for such an important project.”
“Who else do you have in mind?” David asked out of curiosity.
“Uriah Richards. He's taken the station in the Shreveport, Louisiana, market from the last spot to number one in less than a year.”
“I'm well aware of his achievements, but I think Simon would be the best choice. Let me think about it.”
Wade got up and went back to his seat.
The mention of Uriah's name caused David to think about Sheba. He licked his lips as his mind recalled the sight of Sheba in the shower. He wanted Sheba. He called Wade back over to him. “Call Simon and tell him to meet me at the Shreveport office tomorrow morning at ten.”
“But he's in the New York office, and we're landing there to refuel.”
David ignored Wade's comment. “Tell Uriah to be expecting us. But do not tell either one what the meeting is about. Understood?”
Wade had a puzzled look on his face. “Yes, Mr. King.”
“Fine. Then it's all set. After I meet with those two gentlemen, I'll have my final decision. Thanks, Wade, for all of your help.”
David turned off the computer and left Wade sitting there. He retreated to the private area of the jet. David used the last part of the plane ride to meditate. He kneeled down at the foot of the bed, closed his eyes, and recited one of his favorite passages from the Old Testament. “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”
David opened his eyes, hoping his mind would be free of Sheba, but instead she filled his thoughts and caused a spirit of lust to overcome him. David, normally a man in control, was losing control.
Chapter 5
Sheba spent the majority of her time at the hospital. If she wasn't working, she was holding prayer vigils in Delilah's room. It had been three days since Sheba had learned of Delilah, and she had been praying fervently for her full recovery ever since.
Uriah couldn't understand her need to be at the hospital when she should be home, resting. She was at home now only to shower and planned to return to the hospital. She was startled when she heard the bedroom door open.
“Sheba, baby, you need to sleep. I came back to make sure you got some sleep,” Uriah said as he dropped his briefcase down and walked up to her.
The towel around her body fell to the floor as she flew into his arms. She didn't realize how much she missed having his arms around her until now. She drew upon his strength and allowed herself to be carried to the bed.
“Uriah, I need to be there when she opens her eyes. I want her to know she's not alone.”
“Baby, she's not going anywhere. Even when she opens her eyes, she'll be right there. What good are you going to do her if you're exhausted? What good are you to your patients if you're walking around like a zombie?”
Sheba realized Uriah had a point. She hadn't slept much these past few days. She would do as her husband suggested. She would sleep, and later on she'd go in an hour before her shift started. “I love you. Love you for always thinking about my needs,” she said.
“I love you, too, Sheba. I don't want to live my life without you. It's my job as your husband to make sure you take care of yourself.”
Uriah bent down and kissed Bathsheba lightly on the lips. The taste of his lips stirred something within her. She forgot about being tired as Uriah discarded his clothes. Seconds later, they were enjoying a morning love session.
Once they were both physically satisfied, instead of cuddling like Bathsheba wanted, Uriah sat up in the bed and said, “I'm going to shower and then head in to work. I have a meeting with my boss and one of the other directors from New York.”
“Really? It must be important for him to be flying into town.”
“I'm hoping it doesn't mean a reorg. Some of the directors have had to lay off some folks.”
“Let's hope not.” Sheba followed Uriah to the shower.
“Baby, you know I won't be able to shower with you in there with me,” Uriah said.
“Who said anything about showering?”
Uriah and Sheba spent another thirty minutes enjoying each other. Afterward, Uriah rushed and got dressed, while Sheba sat on the bed and watched.
“I'm going to tell David why I'm late,” Uriah teased.
“Do that. You know he wants me, right?” There, she'd said it. She'd put it out there to Uriah.
“What man doesn't? Although I married you because I love who you are, Sheba, a man would have to be blind not to see your beauty.”
“Well, I'm not a piece of meat, and it irks me sometimes how men like to gawk.”
“You handle it well, baby. As far as David is concerned, he's around beautiful women all the time. I'm sure he was just admiring the masterpiece that I call my wife.” Uriah bent down and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
“What do you want for dinner? That's the least I can do, since I haven't cooked for you all week,” Sheba said.
“With Mr. King coming into the office, I'll be there late, so I'll grab something.”
“Looks like I won't see you until tomorrow.” She felt disappointed but understood how important Uriah's job was to him.
“I might swing through the hospital tonight, if you like.”
“No need to. I promise to come home in the morning. If there's an emergency, I'll call you.”
“Do that.” He leaned down and kissed her one more time.
She blew him a kiss as he exited the room. Sheba was asleep before her head could hit the pillow. The sound of the alarm she had set on her phone alerted her that she had two hours to get dressed and ready for work. She hadn't planned on sleeping that long, but apparently, her body had needed it.
She checked her phone to see if she had any missed calls. She had several from friends and one from her husband. Before returning any of the calls, she showered again, with the hopes of it giving her more energy.
Feeling rejuvenated, Sheba dressed for work and headed to the hospital, planning to check on Delilah first. Before getting out of her car, she dialed Uriah's cell phone but got his voice mail. “I'll be in Delilah's room, and I can't have my cell phone on while in the ICU. I'll try to call you before my shift starts. Love you.”
She hung up the phone and waited for the shuttle to take her from the employees' parking lot to the hospital. Keisha was sitting near Delilah's bed when Sheba entered her room. Sheba was curious about what had led up to Delilah's shooting, and Keisha was the only one with answers to her questions.
“The doctor said she's doing better today. She opened her eyes up but closed them,” Keisha informed her.
Sheba picked up her chart and read it. “Yes, she's doing much better according to the notes here.”
Keisha's phone rang. “I must get this. This is my boss.”
“You know the phone signals can interfere with the equipment, so you're not supposed to have your cell phones on in this area,” Sheba lectured.
Keisha ignored her and answered her call. She walked out of the room to get some privacy.
Sheba walked over to Delilah's bed. “Your friend is something else,” Sheba said. “Anyway, how are you today, sis?” Sheba laughed out loud. “I wanted to meet you, but not like this. You might not believe this, but I need you just as much as you need me. We'll never have to be apart again. I love you, Delilah.”
Sheba laid her head down on the bed. Keisha walked back in the room. Sheba sat up and dried the tears on her face.
Keisha said, “I'm sorry about earlier. I know that I wasn't supposed to have the phone on, but I called in to work.”
Sheba shrugged her shoulders.
Keisha took a seat. “Besides you, Delilah hasn't had any other visitors.”
“I've been so caught up in this uncanny reunion, I forgot to ask you why that is,” Sheba said.
“Well, there are some things about Delilah that you don't know. Things that I'm sure she's not proud of.”
Keisha seemed to want to talk, and Sheba wanted to know more about Delilah. She took a seat in the other chair.
“She'll probably kill me for telling you these things, but I'm going to tell you, anyway,” Keisha said.
Sheba's mouth fell open in shock as Keisha told her about Delilah's past.
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