Battle with a Billionaire: A Suspenseful Billionaire Romance (Hearts and Holdings Billionaire Romanc

Chapter 7

An incessant pounding pulled Grant from his pleasant slumber. He groaned as he glanced at the clock. Who was banging on his door at quarter after one in the morning?

With a grumble, he shoved back the covers. If it was Lydia with a ridiculous request, he was going to toss her out of the house himself.

He whipped the door open, his features immediately softening as he spotted Julia in the muted hall lights. His stomach twisted. Something must be wrong. He squinted against the light. “Julia?”

Grant’s mind raced as he read her troubled expression. Was it something he’d done? The recent scandal? Or something worse? Possibilities tumbled through his mind, each more unsettling than the last.

“Sorry to wake you. Especially for this.” She heaved a sigh, her features pained. “But I need your help.”

His protective instincts surged into overdrive as he reached for her, wrapping an arm around her as he guided her into his bedroom and eased her into an armchair. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

“No,” she said, though the pinched expression never left her features.

He crouched in front of her, rubbing the fluffy fabric of her robe-clad arms. The soft glow of his lighting cast shadows across Julia’s face, accentuating the worry etched in her features. “Just tell me what it is. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”

“It’s not really what I need,” she said, her lips tugging into a wince.

His concern grew for her. Whatever had prompted her to bang on his door at this hour must have been important, but she wasn’t making any sense.

“Okay, just explain from the beginning. Whatever you need, Julia, I’ll help.”

She flicked her worried gaze to him, her features pinching again. “Kyle called–”

Anger surged through him at the mention of the man’s name. He tensed his jaw as he rose to stand. “He really can’t leave you alone, can he? What is he? Drunk?”

“No, arrested.”

“Good for him. Maybe a night in a jail cell will cure him.” He flicked his gaze to Julia who stared up at him from her seat in his armchair, her features a mix of worry and shock still on her delicate features. “Don’t tell me you feel sorry for him.”

She tugged her lips into another wince. “I do, because…”

“Oh, Julia, he doesn’t know when to quit, that’s why he’s in a jail cell right now.”

“He was trying to get information on DG Industries. I feel…somewhat responsible for this.”

“You shouldn’t. He’s a grown man. His decisions are his own.”

Julia let her face fall to her lap.

He slid his eyes sideways, his guilt kicking in as he studied her. He had no emotion toward Kyle, but Julia…she was a different story. “You want me to bail him out.”

She lifted her gaze to his, her features wrinkling. “Yes?”

Grant heaved a sigh as he nodded his head. “Alright.”

“Thank you,” she said with a half-smile. “I appreciate this.”

That was all that mattered to him. He returned her expression. “If you’re going to wait up, I’ll let you know when I’m back.”

“Wait up?” Her features crinkled as she rose to stand. “I’m going with you.”

Grant’s jaw tensed again. He may be willing to do what she asked, but he wouldn’t let her put herself in the line of fire. “No, you are not. I’ll get him out of this, but I don’t want you anywhere near it.”

“Grant, I’m going. I’m not going to let you bail him out, and then have the two of you end up right back in jail when you inevitably get into an argument.”

He heaved a sigh. “I don’t like this.”

“I don’t imagine you do, but I do feel somewhat responsible.”

“I don’t understand why,” Grant answered.

“He was following Alexander Knight when he got arrested. I feel like that’s my fault. He’s…trying to make up by finding information.”

“He’s an idiot.” Grant scrubbed his face. “Sorry. This isn’t your fault. It’s Kyle’s, as usual, and you are stuck picking up the pieces.”

She pressed her lips together as he blustered about his son.

He centered his gaze on her face, still registering worry and now consternation over his response. “Get dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Her expression melted with relief, and she smiled at him before she squeezed his arm. “Thank you.”

The simple gesture filled him with a sense of hope for their relationship. Perhaps he could be someone she depended on despite her independent nature.

He grabbed his phone, placing a quick call to Mitchell Caldwell before he quickly pulled on clothes, pocketed his phone, and hurried from his room down to the foyer.

Julia appeared moments later, hurrying down the stairs with her phone in her hand.

“Julia, are you sure you want to go? I can handle this. I’ve already called Mitchell.”

“I’m sure. There is no way I’m making you handle this alone. I know Kyle is your least favorite person.”

Grant pulled the door open and guided her into the cool evening air. “Close, but that’s probably Lydia after tonight’s dinner.”

“Those two really love to duke it out for that spot, don’t they?” she asked as they crossed the darkened lawn toward the garage.

“Yes, they do. And this latest stunt by Kyle is…over the top as usual.”

“I still feel responsible.”

“And I still don’t know why,” Grant said as they slipped into the garage and he crossed to grab his keys.

“I may have used DG Industries as a distraction earlier with him. Twice.”

“Twice?” Grant crinkled his brow as he unlocked his Mercedes and opened the passenger door for her.

“Yes,” she said as she slipped inside.

He rounded the hood, sliding behind the wheel.

“This morning when we talked, we were going round and round. He brought up DG Industries, and I told him we’d talk about looking into them.”

Grant huffed at the news as he pulled down the driveway. “Julia, will you please stop putting yourself in danger with these investigations? Let Max handle it.”

“I’m not putting myself in danger.”

“What about the second time?”

“What?”

Grant aimed for the glowing lights of the city. “You said you used it twice. What was the second time?”

“He texted me earlier about the news story. I made it clear I didn’t want to hear his opinion and if we were going to keep talking, it would be about DG Industries, not his opinion on your past.”

“And so he took it upon himself to impress you by finding information.”

“Probably,” Julia said as the buildings filled in around them. “Which is why I feel somewhat responsible.”

“You didn’t tell him to follow this Knight character, Julia.”

“No, but…we did follow him once. And he never should have gone on his own. He’s terrible at tailing people. I’m not surprised he got caught.”

Grant threaded through the quiet city streets, a sense of foreboding settling over him. Dealing with Kyle was never straightforward. He pondered the new drama awaiting him at the police station. At least this time, it wasn’t him in handcuffs.

He flicked his gaze sideways to Julia. She chewed her lower lip as she stared at the passing buildings. She really did take everything to heart. He slid a hand onto her shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Julia. You’ve been more than patient with him. Maybe this will make him realize there are consequences to his actions.”

Julia reached for his hand, offering him a soft smile. “So have you. I think this goes above and beyond.”

“I can’t believe he called you in the middle of the night to get him out of jail,” Grant said with a shake of his head.

“I don’t think he has anybody else. That’s part of the problem.”

Grant rolled his eyes as the station came into sight. “Oh, poor Kyle.”

“Hey, he hasn’t had an easy time of it lately. He just lost the mother who raised him, then found out he was adopted, and then lost his birth mom.”

“You’re way too nice, Julia,” Grant said as he eased into a parking space. “Maybe you ought to wait in the–”

The opening of her door announced her disagreement with his suggestion.

“Right, okay,” he said as he climbed from the car and joined her, wrapping an arm around her as they strode to the building and climbed the steps before pushing inside.

Mitchell emerged from the back as they stepped into the waiting room.

“Mitch,” Grant said as he approached them, “sorry to wake you, again.”

“At least it wasn’t you this time,” Mitchell answered.

“Can you get him out tonight?”

“Yes. I managed to wake a judge and get a bail hearing. We just need to post his bail, and he’ll be free to go pending a preliminary hearing unless we can get the charges dropped.”

“Can you?” Grant asked.

“Maybe. How much do you want me to put into this?”

Grant slid his eyes sideways to Julia before he answered with a sigh, hating the words as they came out of his mouth. “Get them dropped if you can.”

“I’ll put a motion together first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks,” Grant said. “How much longer here?”

“I’ll go check on the paperwork. I hope you brought your checkbook.”

Grant nodded at him as he strode toward the officer at the desk.

Julia’s hand gently touched his arm. “Thank you.”

He slid it around her shoulders and guided her to a set of chairs. “I’m doing this because you asked, not for him. As far as I’m concerned, after everything he’s done, he could sit in that cell all night.”

“I know.” She smiled at him as she leaned a little closer. “It’s always so cold in here.”

He pulled her a little closer and rubbed her arm as they waited. When the door burst open, Mitchell appeared.

They rose as he strode out with Kyle following behind him. He searched the waiting room for Julia, any trace of a smile fading as he spotted Grant.

“Dr. Carter is free to go. I’ll file a motion for dismissal in the morning. Stay out of trouble until then. I don’t want to fight an uphill battle. Your record outside of this is clean, keep it that way.”

“Thanks, Mitch,” Grant said with a clap on his shoulder.

The man offered him a nod before he shuffled away, leaving them alone.

“Well, this is unexpected,” Kyle said, his lips still tugged into a frown as he refused to meet anyone’s gaze. “I suppose I should thank you.”

“You should thank Julia. I wouldn’t be here without her. But that’s not an invitation to pester her. It’s bad enough that you called her in the middle of the night because you got yourself arrested. If it had been up to me, I’d have left you sit in there and think about what you did.”

“I did it to help you,” Kyle shot back. “And you’re one to talk. Julia’s been at this police station way more often for you than me.”

“That’s enough,” Julia said. “Can we just agree to take this as a step forward for everyone? Kyle got arrested trying to help you.”

Grant resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the statement. His son got himself arrested trying to impress his wife, not trying to help him.

“And Grant bailed you out.”

Kyle pressed his still-frowning lips into a tight line.

“Which is a big step for both of you.”

“I said thanks,” Kyle murmured.

Julia glanced at Grant. Did she actually want him to make nice with Kyle? She widened her eyes. Yes, she did.

“You’re welcome. And…thanks for trying to help with DG Industries.”

The two men begrudgingly nodded, neither willing to make eye contact with the other.

“Good. Now, it’s over. Let’s hope Mitchell gets the charges dismissed. And from now on, no tailing people on your own.”

“I just…” Kyle began before he shot a glance at Grant and shook his head.

“Don’t do it,” Julia warned. “You stink at it.”

“I do not.”

“You do so. And you can’t get into any more trouble.”

He flicked his gaze to the floor, his frustration clear from the way his jaw flexed.

Grant’s own jaw tensed as he watched the exchange. He hated that they’d somehow bonded over an investigation on his behalf. “How about no tailing people at all? Either of you. And definitely not the two of you together. I can’t believe I have to tell you two this.”

“Hey,” Julia chided as she offered him an amused expression, “I have experience.”

Grant slid his arm around her again. “I don’t care, Juls. I don’t want you in any danger.”

“I would never endanger Julia,” Kyle chimed in. “She means a lot to me, beyond just a–”

“Don’t,” Julia said with a firm shake of her head.

Kyle held up a hand. “Sorry. It’s late. I’m agitated.”

Grant heaved a sigh, wanting to put the incident behind him. “It is late. We should get going.”

“Do you need us to drop you at your apartment?” Julia asked, making Grant’s skin crawl.

“No, I’ll walk. It’s fine.”

“Kyle, it’s all the way across town.”

With an abundance of reluctance, Grant grumbled out the words, “I’d be happy to drive you.”

The smile Julia offered him made the effort worth it.

“Fine,” Kyle said.

As they stepped out of the police station, the stark fluorescent lights gave way to the dim glow of the streetlamps. The cool night air was a welcome contrast to the station’s claustrophobic corridors.

They climbed in Grant’s Mercedes and threaded through the quiet streets. After dropping off Kyle, they spent a quiet ride back to Harrington House, pulling in a few hours before their alarms were set to go off.

After a quiet thank you from Julia, they parted ways in the still silent halls, going to their separate rooms. As Grant stretched out in bed for a few extra hours of sleep, the events of the night flitted through his mind.

As much as he hated to bail Kyle out of jail, the fact that Julia had trusted him enough to come to him for help eased the pain. Maybe their relationship could thrive. For the first time in his life, he had a real partner. He drifted off determined to keep her in his life.

When the alarm ripped through the silence the next morning, he hadn’t lost his resolve. Maybe he’d talk to her sooner rather than later.

As he straightened his tie before pulling on his jacket, he practiced what he might say rather than going over his material for the press conference this morning. With Julia standing next to him, he could pull anything off.

He glided easily through breakfast, and, with Julia standing next to him, made his statement about being a changed man thanks to the support of his new wife. The words rolled easily since he meant every one of them.

As they left the glare of the cameras behind, Grant grabbed her elbow. “Julia, thank you.”

“Of course,” she said with a smile. “And now, sorry to abandon you, but I need to get back to the office.”

“Sure. We’ll talk later, okay?”

“Good luck,” she said with a squeeze of his arm. “I hope that puts this to rest.”

A small smile played on his lips as she departed. The weight of the scandal lifted from his shoulders, leaving behind a rare moment of peace.

A tap on his shoulder called his attention away from Julia. He twisted to find Kathryn behind him.

She gave him a broad smile. “That was an excellent press conference. Even I believed you and I wrote that crap you spewed.”

“I meant it,” he answered her, feeling a surge of sincerity mixed with uncertainty. Could he truly shed his past? Perhaps with Julia’s unwavering support, he could.

“Doesn’t matter if you did. All that matters is if Joe Public believed you, and with a performance like that I’d say the odds are good.”

“So, you think that’ll put this to bed?”

“I think so, but…”

“What?” Grant pressed.

“Unfortunately, I think this scandal may have been minor to what I’ve heard is brewing in the other camp.”

Grant’s heart skipped a beat, his palms turning slick. “What do you mean?” A knot tightened his stomach, his previous relief ebbing away and replaced with dread.

“My sources say while we were busy with this, they were planning something else. Something big. Something that could cost us the election.”

Grant’s stomach turned over as he wondered what it might be. What could be worse than his playboy image splashed all over the news?