Authors: Melissa Gaye Perez
Randle's Princess
Randle’s Princess
By
Melissa Gaye Perez
This book is a work of fiction and the names, characters, incidents and/or dialogue are products of the author's imagination. They are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, places or people living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Melissa Gaye Perez.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission by the author or publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
"Randle's Princess" is a suspense/thriller full of murder, lies and deceit. The powerful Randle Malcolm is a handsome and rich Texas Attorney who also leads a deep dark secret life. Lia Harton finds herself unwillingly drawn into Randle's frightening secret life at a very young age and tries desperately to escape it, but after all her attempts seem to fail she finds herself a branded woman only to be hunted by his enemies wanting to use her for revenge. Then her beloved Thomas comes along but will he be able to save her from what Randle insists is her destiny? This novel takes numerous twists and turns that will keep you on edge and an ending you will not soon forget.
Other Books by Melissa Gaye Perez:
“Shadow of Doubt”
A comical and enlightening romance that will make you laugh as you follow the adventures of Jordan Scott and his new love simply known to him as Dolly.
Chapter 1
It was a beautiful spring morning of March in the Dallas Suburbs. Twenty-three year old Lia Harton was out taking an early morning jog along the sidewalk of the tree filled street that ran just out front of their sprawling tudor style mansion. Wearing her snugly fit denim shorts and navy muscle shirt with the earphones from her iPod that was strapped around her waste hanging from her neck, she was enjoying the sounds of the birds chirping from the trees, an occasional locust screeching and the feel of this cool morning breeze as her auburn waist length pony tail flowed behind her. Definitely nature at it’s best.
She knew she wasn’t supposed to be out alone but Jeffery, the man assigned as her personal security guard, wasn’t yet awake when she was ready to go so she left without him. Randle would be angry she knew…but Lia had learned over the years that she could charm him with her gleaming hazel eyes and soon calm his rage.
Taking a deep breath of fresh air and slowly letting it out as she jogged, Lia remembered the day she came to meet him. Her parents had just been killed when their private jet crashed on their way home from a weekend getaway. She was only ten years old when the accident happened and was deeply devastated after the loss of the two people she loved the most in this world. She was their only child and couldn’t imagine life without Mom and Dad.
Jen and Levi Harton were millionaires by their own right being the owners of an oil company they had built together from the ground up here in Dallas as well. Randle’s father Joseph was their personal and business attorney as well as Lia’s Godfather and a close friend of her parents. He made sure he gained total guardianship of her immediately following the funeral and brought her here to live with him and his son Randle whom is ten years her senior.
“Now that’s a pretty little princess,” Randle had proclaimed as soon as he laid eyes on her, reaching out to stroke the top of her head with his large firm hand, but did it ever so gently. His tall and firm body with those broad shoulders and perfectly styled dark brown hair gave him the appearance of someone with great self confidence. She only gazed up at him shyly, but knew she could trust him because Joseph had already told her all about his son and her new home during their ride there.
“This child is now a member of this family and I expect her to be treated as such,” Joseph demanded sternly.
Randle’s powerful blue eyes gazed from her to his father. “I’d have it no other way,” he agreed with sincerity.
Then he reached out a welcoming hand. “C’mon little one I’ll show you around the place.”
Joseph was a sweet and loving man. Always so gentle when he spoke and treated Lia as if she were his blood daughter. Joseph Malcolm was a very prominent attorney in Dallas and owned a huge well respected law firm downtown. Randle was still in law school but worked for his father as well and was on his way to being just as successful of an attorney.
Joseph took Lia everywhere. They went to movies together, to plays, shopping and social events. He even took her to the museums and out to fancy restaurants to eat as if they were on a date. He told her he wanted to see to it that she was raised as the sophisticated little lady she was born to be. But also stressed that he wanted to teach her to be responsible and brave so she could take care of herself when the time came for her to leave him and move out on her own.
Lia adored Randle too, but could never see him as a brother figure. He was more demanding and possessive than Joseph, more protective and sometimes he actually scared her. Although he had never harmed her sometimes she had an uncanny feeling he was perfectly capable of it.
Randle too would spend time alone with her. Only he didn’t treat her quite the way Joseph did. Actually he spoiled her
more
especially after she finally reached her teenage years. He would buy her lavish gifts of jewelry, diamonds, emeralds, he really didn’t care. The clothes he purchased for her were more expensive and glitzy. Lia didn’t mind at all but sometimes it made here feel a bit uncomfortable. Sometimes she would find herself hiding the jewels from Joseph’s sight.
She was also wary of the people Randle associated with. Men in business suits wearing dark sunglasses as if to keep you from knowing where their eyes were looking. And she knew full well they were always armed. And so was Randle, keeping his shiny revolver in a black leather holster strapped over his left shoulder hidden under his jacket. He didn’t try to hide that fact from her though. When he would return home from the downtown office and work in his office at the house he wasn’t shy about removing his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack fully exposing his weapon. Lia always feared he was keeping deep dark secrets that she surely knew Joseph wouldn’t approve of.
Joseph had taken over Lia’s trust fund as well after her parent’s death. He thought it best to sell the oil company, their old family home and all assets and put the funds away for Lia’s future. A trust she was entitled to control entirely herself once she turned twenty-five.
But then when Lia was only fifteen she was totally devastated when tragedy struck again with the untimely death of Joseph. He had a massive heart attack and it was she that was with him when it happened. They were having breakfast together in the formal dining area that morning. Betsy, the head cook was there with them serving their food. A sweet little lady with a plump body and graying hair always pulled up in a bun wearing her black dress and white laced apron. Everything seemed fine as they laughed and ate together. But then Joseph announced he had best get to his downtown office then he rose to leave his chair only to stoop over and grab his chest. He was clearly in pain.
You could hear the loud clang as Lia dropped her fork to her plate and ran to his side throwing her arms around his neck. “What’s wrong Joseph? Do you need me to call the doctor?”
“No my child. I’m okay. Just a little heartburn I do believe,” he grunted out.
“Well okay,” Lia replied with uncertainty as she returned to her seat.
He again tried to straighten to a standing position. “Ohhh, no!” he then professed as he fell back to his chair, his pleading eyes turning slowly to look at her.
Lia now had tears streaking her face and was beginning to panic. “Joseph I’m calling 911!” she shrieked. He didn’t protest, didn’t respond at all. His eyes never moved again, just stared steadily.
Betsy screamed, “I’ll call Mr. Randle! He just left for the office, he can’t be far,” as she fled the room.
Lia grabbed her cell phone from the table and dialed for help. The ambulance arrived approximately ten minutes later, but they were too late. Joseph had died right there, his eyes still staring in the direction of Lia’s now empty chair.
The paramedics had tried their best anyway. They had quickly moved his body onto the floor and tried for several minutes to revive him. Lia watched nervously as one man pumped his chest fiercely and the other ran a plastic tube down his throat and began slowly pumping the rubber bubble looking thing on the end of it trying to make him breathe she knew. She couldn’t tell if any of it was doing any good or not. She couldn’t move from the spot she was standing, just watched fearfully with her hazel eyes wide open in disbelief and praying silently in her head that he too wouldn’t leave her as suddenly as her parents had just five years prior.