Married by Midnight (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series, #12) (17 page)

Rubbing his hands together, Mountbatten stepped away and headed back to his chair.

As he did, a sullen thought crept into Golden’s mind.  Yes, when it came to her father she knew he’d had her best interest at heart.  But Lord Mountbatten?  The interest he had in this affair was most certainly his own.

Mountbatten planted his long-fingered hands on top of the desk and pulled his chair closer.  A look of eager anticipation on his face, he gave her a Cheshire Cat smile.

“Now where do we begin?” 

***

“W
hat’s the word, Max?  Tell me you have something for me.”

All Reed heard was a sigh on the other end of the line.  Finally, his brother spoke.  “Sorry, nothing yet.”

“It’s been two weeks, man.  What’s holding things up?”  Reed couldn’t keep the frustration out of his voice.  There was something he needed to do and time was running out.  “I thought you said this P.I. was one of the best.”

“He is,” Max, said with a grunt, “but what do you expect when all he’s got to go on is a first name and a Spring Break location?  You’ve got to give the man time to do his job.”

“I don’t have time,” Reed said through gritted teeth.  “That’s a luxury I can’t afford.”

The response he got was silence. When Max spoke, his tone was one of annoyance.  “So what’s your rush all of a sudden?  We’re talking about something that happened more than three years ago.  You let it sit all this time and now suddenly you can’t resolve this fast enough?” 

Reed knew his brother had a point but it didn’t matter. He had to do what he had to do.  “I told you, Max.  I met a girl.  I think...she’s the one.”

“A girl you met a month ago?  Maybe two?”  Max’s voice said he was not impressed.  “Sounds to me like this is another of your rush job love affairs.”

“This one is different-”

“Grow up, Reed.  It’s time you took life seriously.  You can’t keep running around controlled by your dick-”

“Max.”  Reed cut him off.  His brother was beginning to piss him off and right now he didn’t want to go there.  There were more important issues on the table.  Urgent issues.  “She’s the one.  I love her and I’ll do anything to get her.  But we have to do this fast.  I’ve only got two weeks.  Will you help me?”

Max gave a snort but then he went silent.  Finally, he spoke.  “All right.  I’m taking Banner off the case.  I’ll be putting this in the hands of the best P.I. firm in the country.  They’ll get the job done.  I’m sure of it.”

At his brother’s reassurance the tension in Reed’s body eased.  “Thanks, bro,” he said.  “This means a lot to me.”

It meant more than a lot.  If he could resolve this problem it could change the rest of his life.  He would do everything in his power to make it happen...before it was too late.

“B
ut you don’t even like him.  Why in the world would you want to do that?” Eyes wide, Eugenia regarded Golden with a look that said she was convinced her daughter was off her rocker. 

“Mother, I have to.  You know what will happen if I don’t marry now.  My inheritance goes to you and you know what that means.”

“But dear, that doesn’t matter.”  Eugenia put a hand on Golden’s shoulder.  “It would still be our money, mine and yours.  The good thing is, Dunstan would give us advice on how to invest it.  He’s a man.  He knows about these things.”

Golden almost laughed but it would have been a sad laugh, reflective of the sorry situation she was in.  How could her mother be so clueless?  He was a man so that qualified him as an investment adviser?  And why was Eugenia in denial?  The man already had control of her assets.  What made her think he wouldn’t take control of this new access to even more cash?

Gently, she reached out and lifted Eugenia’s hand from her shoulder and got up from the kitchen table.  “I have to go now, Mother.”

“Where?” she asked as her eyes searched Golden’s face.  “You haven’t made a final decision, have you?  You will think about what I said?”

Golden forced a smile.  “Yes, mother, I’ll think about it.”

“Please, dear, don’t hurry into marriage with Lord Mountbatten just because of the will.  There’s really no need to rush.”  She stood up, her face earnest.  “Dunstan is a good man.  He will take care of you.  I promise.”

Golden could only nod, words failing her.  She’d thought the situation was sad but it was past that.  It was pathetic.  She had a mother who was so blind to the truth, so brainwashed by her husband, she couldn’t even think straight.

The realization only strengthened her resolve.  If she was to save her mother she had to get her hand on that money.

And whatever it took, she would do it. 

***

“T
hank God.”  Reed dropped his forehead onto his palm and his body sagged with relief.  “I thought it would never happen.”

“Well it did, so get your tail out here first thing tomorrow and deal with your business.’

“I’ll be there tonight,” Reed told Max.  “I haven’t got a moment to lose.”

Within hours he was in the air, his private jet on its way to the United States.  The firm Max had put on the case, Accelerated Investigation Services, had delivered as promised, tracking Carrie down in Massachusetts.  Carrie Kingston, now a registered nurse at Mount Auburn Hospital.  She’d been a junior when he’d met her in Las Vegas.  He could thank his lucky stars that he’d finally remembered, or at least come close, to the name of the college she’d been attending when they met.  She’d mentioned it in passing but it had totally slipped his memory until four days earlier.  He’d been in the bathroom shaving, the TV on in the bedroom, when he’d heard a commercial that made him snap to attention.  Hershey’s Chocolate. Hershey?  Hershey College.

Face covered in foam he’d shot to the phone and called Max immediately.  That, it turned out, had been exactly what they’d needed, a piece of the puzzle that gave them a location and, better yet, an institution to which to tie the mystery woman.

And now he would see her again.  All he had to do was get her to free him from the prison he’d locked himself in.

Next morning, drained by jetlag but not letting that stop him, Reed was on his way to the Cambridge address provided by the P.I. firm.  They’d already made contact with Carrie Kingston and she was expecting him at nine o’clock.

He got to Lowell Street with fifteen minutes to spare.  He parked on the street a short distance from the house and sat in the car, anxious to hop out and ring the doorbell but loathe to disturb her before the appointed time.

When it finally came around to nine o’clock Reed was already standing on the front porch, ringing the doorbell.  It opened immediately and there in the doorway stood the girl he remembered, not looking a day older than when he’d last seen her, and she was smiling.

“Reed.  I never thought I’d see you again.  Come on in.”  Still smiling, she stepped back.  “I was in shock when I heard you were trying to track me down.”

Reed was in shock, too, at such a warm reception.  He’d expected confusion or resentment and even anger.  After all, he’d married the woman and then abandoned her.  But this?

Carrie ushered him into her comfortably furnished living room where she directed him to a fat plaid sofa.  “Have a seat.  I’ll get you something to drink.  Coffee?  Tea?”  She gave him an alluring smile.  “I guess it’s too early for a beer.”

“Uh, I’m good, thanks.  I don’t need anything right now.”  Reed could feel a bead of sweat running down his back.  This was too easy.  Too good to be true.  Why was she being so friendly?  He had the uneasy feeling that things would soon take a turn for the worse.

Carrie shrugged.  “All right.”  Then to Reed’s surprise she bypassed the armchair and came to sit on the sofa beside him.  “So,” she said, turning to him, still smiling, “why did you hunt me down?  I’m dying to know.”

That made Reed freeze.  Eyes narrowed, he searched her face.  How could she not know?  They’d gotten married in a drunken stupor and now, years later, he’d come to find her.  That could only mean one thing.  He wanted a divorce.

He was opening his mouth to say just that when her next words knocked the wind out of him.

“Are you here to ask me to marry you for real this time?”

Carrie Kingston was staring right at him, looking like she meant every word.  “I’m glad you found me,” she continued.  “I never forgot you but I thought there was no hope.  When I got the call that you were looking for me, I knew.  I’ve been on your mind all this time, haven’t I?”

For a moment all Reed could do was stare.  Words failed him. How the hell was he going to dig himself out of this mess?

Obviously, the girl had feelings for him or she’d convinced herself that she did.  She’d assumed he’d come looking for her to rekindle whatever it was they had that one night in Vegas.  What the heck was she going to do when she found out his reason for hunting her down was the very opposite?

He grimaced, not knowing where to start. Finally, he just spoke.  “Carrie, I’m sorry but I’m not here to renew a relationship with you.  I’m here to ask you for a divorce.”

“A divorce?”  Carrie’s eyes widened in shock.  “You came looking for me to ask for a divorce?”

His eyes never leaving her face, Reed nodded.  “Yes.  I’m sorry.”

The light went out of Carrie’s eyes.  Her shoulders sagged and she looked away.  Finally, she shook her head and got up.  Then she laughed and looked back at Reed.  “I should have known better.  It was too good to be true.  How pathetic can you get?”  She slid her hands into the pockets of her slacks and looked up at the ceiling.  When she looked down at him again she was still smiling, but it was a sad-looking smile.  “I am such an idiot.  Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry.”  Reed stood up but he did not move toward her.  “I didn’t mean to hurt you.  I didn’t even think you remembered me.”

“Oh, I remembered you, all right.  I thought about you for a long time after I left Las Vegas.  I just never thought I’d ever see you again.  And then when I heard you were looking for me...” She shrugged.  “Let’s just say I made a hell of a wild assumption.”

Reed didn’t know what to say in answer to that but when the silence stretched on he had to speak.  “Will you give me the divorce?”

Carrie looked at Reed and this time she was knitting her brow.  “Why do you keep asking me that?  Don’t you know our marriage was invalid?”

Reed frowned.  “What do you mean?”

“Sure, we did the ceremony but we were both drunk and we never saw each other after that.  Outside of a few kisses we didn’t do anything. We never even consummated the marriage.  It can be easily annulled.”  She gave him a questioning look.  “Any lawyer could have told you that.  Didn’t you ask?”

Reed felt the heat rise up his neck.  He shoved his hands in his pockets then slowly shook his head.  Fool that he was, he hadn’t even done that one thing he should have done before anything else.  Both he and Carrie knew what had taken place that night but outside of giving Max some cursory information he hadn’t spoken with anyone.  And definitely not his lawyer.

He could have saved himself years of torture.

He looked down at Carrie.  “Thank you, Carrie,” he said gently.  “You’ve been a big help.”

She shrugged and gave him a rueful smile.  “What are friends for?”

O
nce Reed’s marriage to Carrie was officially annulled he flew back to England, the thing foremost on his mind being an urgent meeting with Golden.  As soon as he landed he called her.

“May I see you today?” he asked.  “There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

“I don’t think I can,” she said, her voice hesitant.  “I’m very busy today.”

“Please, Golden.  Just for an hour.  Half an hour, even.  Ten minutes.  That’s all I ask.”

“I...all right.  I can give you half an hour but that’s it.  I really am busy.”  Her voice sounded breathless and he couldn’t tell if it was out of apprehension at the thought of meeting him or if it was out of eager anticipation.

“I’ll take it,” he said before she could change her mind.  “Pick you up at three?”

“Make it four.  I’ll be out shopping most of the day.  I doubt I’ll make it back by then.”

“No problem.  I’ll be there at four.”

After Reed hung up the phone he smiled to himself.  It looked like working with a company involved in fashion had had an impact on Golden.  She’d be out shopping for the better part of the day?  This was definitely a new Golden.

That afternoon Reed picked her up and whisked her off for a drive.  Before coming to get her he’d scouted out the area and found a quiet knoll shaded by weeping willows bowing their hairy heads over a quiet pond.  He’d wanted somewhere secluded and quiet and this place, peaceful and serene, was perfect.

As they walked toward the fallen log he’d already selected as their seat, Reed reached out to take Golden’s hand in his.

She looked up at him quizzically then inexplicably she pulled her hand away.

Reed said nothing.  Maybe she was nervous.  Of course she had no idea why he’d asked her out here.  He wasn’t worried, though.  As soon as he told her the good news he was sure she would come around.

After he’d helped Golden get comfortable on the log Reed sat down beside her.  He didn’t beat around the bush.  “I have great news,” he said, almost reaching out to take her hand but then he stopped himself.  Not yet.  Not until she knew everything.

“What is it?” she asked, her amber eyes wide as she gazed up at him.

“I’m a free man, Golden.”  He gave her a smile filled with relief.  “The marriage was never valid in the first place.  It’s been annulled.”  Then, certain that she was as thrilled as he was, he took her hand in his.  “Now it’s my turn to ask the question.  Golden Browne, will you marry me?”

He gazed down at her, waiting for her to say yes and throw herself into his arms.  It didn’t happen.  As Reed stared at her a shadow clouded Golden’s eyes and she looked down at their clasped hands.  Slowly, she pulled her hand from his then shook her head.

“I can’t,” she said, her voice so low he had to strain to hear her.  “I’m already engaged.  I’ll be marrying Lord Mountbatten in five days.