Page 21 of Billionaire’s Promise

I took a peek at June’s room and made sure that she had fallen asleep before calling Lincoln. I didn’t feel comfortable knowing that June might be awake while I talked about her in her own home.

Lincoln didn’t seem too bothered about my lack of communication over the last two years. My best friend had visited China before and knew what it was like for me out there. But Lincoln was convinced that if my mother knew about my little fetish and found me a sub, I would say yes to marrying anyone.

I laughed at the idea.

Lincoln couldn’t be more right about me – but that was years ago – what Lincoln didn’t know was that things had changed ever since I saw how in love he was with Chloe. How he had risked everything to find her when she was missing and did whatever he could to protect her.

When I told Lincoln how I ended up staying with June, he was not only shocked, but furious about the incident that happened this morning. He wanted Mack to be violently tortured and I knew he meant every word. Through his wife, Lincoln had come across some rather powerful people that he would otherwise never have had an opportunity to meet. Chloe’s cousin turned out to be the only daughter of a dead legendary Mafia boss and she had the final say in everything in a very powerful organization.

Our conversation took a little over fifteen minutes and I was satisfied with what was being said – because I hated mindless chit chat. I’d informed Lincoln about my return. Told him about my stay at June’s. And told him that I would be taking over the big brother duties while he was miles away from her.

Somehow, I found it weird that Lincoln had never heard about Mack, or where June might have known him from. I was curious what other secrets June was keeping from her family.

But both of us had agreed whoever this Mack person was, he might come back or might have an accomplice or two. June shouldn’t be left alone right now and me staying with her was possibly the best way to keep her safe.

I laid on the Lululemon yoga mat trying to ease the headache starting to form due to my jet lag. I hadn’t slept since I left China, and I was beyond exhausted now. The kind of exhaustion where every nerve in your body is on strike, like they’ve decided that you will never ever find a position comfortable enough to fall asleep in again.

Perhaps a proper bed might help with that situation. But there was no way I would take the guest room. I owed my guys too much – they signed up to this shit job, risking their lives to protect me 24/7. Making sure that they were properly rested was the least I could do.

I could buy a mattress, or futon, and have it delivered. June wouldn’t mind, would she? Nope! That was too weird. What kind of guest brought their own mattress? Maybe that’s what some people do, but not me. No way.

A knock on the door disrupted my monkey mind and my failed attempt to nap.

“Sir, the building is secure now. Everyone came back clean,” Dave reported.

I sat up as Dave continued telling me everything concerning our security. Dave also took initiative in setting up security for Jenny, as his intel told him that the Law Family were scouring Europe at the moment looking for her.

We both knew that it was only a matter of time before they searched America. When it came to Jenny, most people thought that she was the vicious one who would kick and scream in public when she went mental. No one really understood that she had her triggers, and her husband had used that to control her for many years.

“See if you can find out what medicine she takes back home. And try not to alert anyone. I don’t really know what she takes. Maybe some sleeping pills, or Prozac.”

“Prozac? What Prozac?” June stood outside the door, her jaw now almost on the floor.

5

June

I couldn’t stop crying. No matter what my brothers did or said, there was no way the tears would stop streaming down my cheeks. My best friend in life had died.

Lincoln tried to convince me that she was just missing. But how was that possible? When the media and the police themselves were convinced that Chloe was gone forever. Besides, my best friend was not someone who would run away from home. What could possibly make her want to run away? What couldn’t we get through together?

Unless she was abducted against her will. But without her parents to pay for the ransom, she was as good as dead. Would Daddy pay for her ransom though if the kidnappers got in touch? I could pay him back in installments once I started working.

Anyway, it had been six months, and I hadn’t heard anything.

And I couldn’t believe that I still had tears left in me. I never knew that I would love someone so much. I didn’t even know that I had that much space in my heart.

Sure, Mom, Dad, and my brothers were different. I loved them no matter what. Even when my irritating brothers were just being annoying, I still loved them. There were times when I didn’t think I did, and I would react rudely or say something hurtful, but I would feel so horrible afterwards.

Chloe’s death made me realize something. My grief was related to my love for her.

If my grief for Chloe was so strong, I couldn’t imagine ever losing my parents or my brothers.

When Kai walked through my bedroom door on my 18th birthday, everything changed. My crying stopped. For a bit, but still.

To say that my heartache stopped would be a far stretch, but he most definitely had brought some light back into my life, like I finally saw light for the first time in a pitch-black tunnel that I kept falling deeper and deeper through.

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