Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

FLYNN

H oly shit, this changes everything.

I expect Felisha to collapse into my arms, but the exact opposite happens.

“Harper, call The Sun and deny there is any engagement between Fulton and me and that there will be no further comment. Then I want to know everything there is to know about that absolute scumbag. How dare he manipulate me like that. I want to bury him.”

She continues to rant, but I’m still stuck on the words “engaged to Fulton.”

“Stop!” I can’t help but yell at both women who have fallen into work mode.

“Flynn, not now.” She speaks to me like I’m one of her staff.

“Don’t you dare block me out. What the fuck was that about being engaged to that leech who was all over you last night. I’ve seen the photos, Felisha, and I didn’t want to start another argument and that took all my fucking strength, so you tell me exactly what your father said. Right. Now!”

I see the moment she recognizes that she needs to include me in this discussion too. I know we are both used to working on our own, but not anymore. That just won’t cut it now.

“Sorry, I know, I just…” She is trying to slow her brain down to explain when Nic and the guys come around the bush too.

“What’s going on?” Nic says calmly but with a concerned undertone.

“My life is falling apart again. Just once I wanted to be with you all and be normal. For fuck’s sake.” Taking my hand in hers, she marches me, with them all following, back to the table where the girls are too.

There is a difference this time.

All the other times when her life has erupted, she has curled in on herself and run to me. This time she is strong and in total control. This not the woman I laid in bed with this morning and shared the joy of a normal day.

“Blaise, can you go and play with Henry down at the stables, please?” Rem is sensing that this will be an adult conversation, and the language won’t be for his ears.

“Yes, Papa.” He skips off down the path to where I can see Henry, Nic’s farm manager, watching him coming toward him, and Nic gives him the signal to keep him there.

“I might follow him. I have a feeling this won’t be a quick discussion, so I will make sure he stays there.” Elouise eases herself up out of the chair and waddles down behind Blaise toward the stables.

“I’m sorry, once again I’ve ruined us all being together. Seems to be a habit of mine. To get you all up to speed, my father has just informed me that he was contacted by The Sun for a comment on my possible engagement to Fulton Anderson last night. When asked who informed them of that, he was told it was Fulton. It might be bullshit, but my gut is telling me it’s not. So, I apologize for how fucking mad I am right now, but I need to make sure this doesn’t make the paper. The Sun might be the trash newspaper, but still, if they are about to run it, then the others will too. I will need to leave to sort it out.”

“I’m going to kill him.” I’m livid and not sure anything would stop me from ending his life if I saw him right now.

“Put that stupid thought right out of your head.” Nic glares at me and then turns to Felisha. “You aren’t going anywhere. Let us help you. We can do it all from my office here. Rem, call Broderick, we need to know what the papers are about to run. Harper, work with Tori. It’s not like we can trust your father’s publicity team to do as you ask right now, so we will handle it. Get statements to every news agency that is running the pictures, already clarifying that last night was a business meeting of two close friends and that the photos were taken out of context. It’s not usual for you to respond, but I think we are best to get ahead of the narrative this time. Of course, only if you agree, Felisha?”

Surprisingly she nods, and Harper and Tori turn and head inside I’m assuming to start working on it straight away.

Felisha turns to me. “Flynn, tell me what you already know about this man, because I know you wouldn’t have let me meet him last night without researching him.” She’s not surprised by the speed that I reply.

Little does she know that the moment the first photo surfaced of her with him in St. Tropez I was digging into this man.

“Fifty-seven-year-old property mogul who made his money off the crash in the nineties, preying on vulnerable people and buying up lucrative properties. Womanizer that travels the world doing business.”

Felisha’s eyes drop for a moment, but then she looks me straight in the eye and owns it. “He is smooth and makes women believe they are important. He sucked me in when I was vulnerable. Biggest regret of my life.”

I put my hand on her shoulder for reassurance. “It’s in the past now.” That’s all she needs to hear, knowing we can get past that.

“He is also known to love a good card game at the casinos and frequents them in most places he visits.” And as I’m saying it, the puzzle pieces are falling into place in my head.

“My father has been warning me since the first pictures were taken of us to stay away from him because he wasn’t a good man. He has never cared who I was out with before now—oh, except Flynn for obvious reasons, because he was using him as part of his plan.” She adds what she thinks is useful information on Fulton, but little does she know she is just helping to confirm what the rest of us are all thinking.

I look to Nic for support that I’m about to do the right thing before I fuck all this up further, and his simple nod is the reassurance I need. He has always been my sounding board.

“Baby, there is something that I think you need to know, can we sit?” Reluctantly she slips into the seat at the end of the table, and Cherie passes her a glass of water.

“I’m listening.”

“Broderick and Rem have been trying to find anything that we may be able to use against your father if everything went to shit. I didn’t want to tell you this and upset you if we didn’t need to, but from what you have just said, I think there is more to all this than we realized. I was looking at both your father and Fulton as two separate problems, but there may be a connection I didn’t even see until just now.”

“What now?” She throws her hands in the air, and I can tell she is coping, but only just.

There is no easy way to tell her, so I don’t sugarcoat it.

“Your father is a gambler and has been playing with the high rollers for years.”

“No, that’s not possible, I would know.” But the look of surprise is already being overtaken with doubt the moment she says it. “Who am I kidding, I know nothing about this monster I’m related too.”

“He is mixing with people who mean serious business, and although we were still in the early stages of digging deeper on his games and how much money he is spending or maybe what he owes to people, I think there might be some connection between him and Fulton if he is warning you away from him. Fulton sounds like he plays in similar circles, and I’m wondering why he was in such a hurry to trap you into a relationship with him. Did he say anything to you last night about getting married?” The words are like acid on my tongue.

“No, just that we needed to talk today about sealing our relationship, and he was not happy that I was leaving the dinner. He wanted to go to Harper’s with me, but I pretty much ran out on him.” Dropping her head into her hands, she lets out the biggest sigh.

Giving her a minute to digest what I’ve just told her, I crouch down in front of her, placing my hands on her knees, just letting her know I’m here.

“What more can there possibly be that I don’t know about my father? How can I have spent the last almost forty years with someone and never really know them?” In my head, I know there is probably so much more that she will never know about the kind of man Ewan Kentwall is, but currently, all my thoughts are of the shareholders of Kentwall Estates and the possibility that they are tied to his gambling too. But I’m not sharing that with her until I have secured the deals and that problem is sorted. While we are fighting the battle together on this front, securing her ownership is my backup plan B.

Looking up at me, she has pulled herself together again and is ready to tackle the problem.

“Harper and I have been digging into the financial records of the company because I suspected there was more to him being so against me taking control, but although there are a few things I have flagged to look into further, nothing has jumped out at me. I’m worried that we are running out of time and that he is going to do something stupid or reckless before my birthday. I just don’t know how to get him to stop this attack on me.”

“We need to attack back but in a different way,” I hear from the person I least expect it from, Forrest. He might have something going on, but when I need him the most, he is there. I know he is talking about our work on buying her the ownership she needs but won’t say anything unless I do.

“I’m so tired from the constant hits that I don’t even know where to start,” Felisha replies, turning to look at the guys beside me.

And then I’m shocked to hear Cherie’s voice, who I’d actually forgotten was here, speaking up in the silence.

“I do.” Her voice is low but strong as she gains all our attention.

“What do you mean?” Rem, who she is like a sister to, is staring at her, confused. This isn’t the type of business world she is used to, so I’m not sure what her thought is or how she thinks she can help.

She stands up a little taller, and her toughness that I have seen before, but not like this, is showing as she starts to talk. “Get me into a game with him.” She is looking at all of us with total confidence.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Forrest moves closer to her.

“Find out where he is playing and who with, and I bet I can get into the game.” Her arms are crossed over her chest, and her body language defensive but also of someone who is ready to fight.

Forrest’s hands clench into fists. “That’s ridiculous, there is no way you are going anywhere near this. These men are dangerous and would eat you alive. Plus, what would you hope to achieve by turning up? It’s not like you can challenge them to a kickboxing fight. Ridiculous! It’s a no.” He is heavily weighing into this and is not happy.

“Forrest!” Rem’s voice tells him to back off his friend.

I can see the fury in Cherie’s eyes as she replies, “Thanks for your confidence, Forrest, thinking the only talent I have in life is being the girl who can fight in a ring. Well, hear this, asshole, you know nothing about my life before I met you all. So, time to listen up. Because right now I don’t see you have many options.” Felisha is looking at her with respect for the way she is not afraid to stand up for herself.

“I count cards.”

Cherie’s face gives away a little hint of pain that comes with that statement, but she continues anyway.

“You all know I grew up in a bad environment. Well, my father used to play poker, badly I might add. And he would take me with him sometimes as an insurance policy that he wouldn’t get beaten up for owing someone money when he lost, you know, the cute innocent little girl was his backup plan. I was bored, so I started trying to guess the next card, and then it became an obsession. I knew before he did every time he was going to lose. I didn’t live a life where I could really use my brain at school because I was using all my energy just to stay alive and eat. But I’m guessing if I could have, maths would have been a subject I did well in.” She shrugs her shoulders.

“Shit, woman, you never stop surprising me.” Rem is now standing beside her and puts his arm around her shoulders in support.

“Even if we could get you into a game with him, what would that achieve?” Nic has his usual calm demeanor we see in the boardroom as he weighs up all the options.

Cherie scoffs. “I don’t know much about this situation, but from what I’m piecing together, your father is a dick and needs to be taught a lesson. Men like him hate losing, but what they hate even more is losing to a woman.”

“I’m his greatest disappointment in his life because I was born a girl, so you’re totally on the money with that.” Felisha has been listening, and I can see she’s invested in what Cherie is saying.

“What would you beating him prove?” Forrest huffs his question.

“This is not a money thing, I’m sure he has enough he could keep betting all night and still be a billionaire. Instead, it’s about making him panic. We can twist it any way you like. It could be that I’m there for revenge of someone he wronged previously, I could throw Felisha’s name into the mix if you wanted, and then he figures out she knows his dirty secret. Or it could simply be to call his bluff in front of some dangerous people. If he is in big on a game, making him bet something he wasn’t ready to bet or can’t afford to lose so he doesn’t look like a fool. We all know the psychology behind gamblers is that they always think they can make it up on the next hand. If this Fulton guy is in the room even better, I can pit them against each other too.”

Listening to everything Cherie is saying, I can see a slim chance that it might work.

“Your father is arrogant enough to get caught up in the spiral of losing, thinking he can win it back, that he will do something stupid.” In the back of my mind, I know he has already done this in the past. Giving away parts of his business to pull himself out of a problem that must have been a significant size.

“I don’t know. This all sounds too wild to me. It’s like some plot in a movie, not real life. Not my life.” Felisha takes a moment to process everything that is being said. “How do we even get you into a game like that with people who would be suspicious of a new player, and like you said, a woman is not common in these games.”

“Before we make any decisions, we have to speak to Broderick and see what he knows. I’m not putting anyone in danger.” Nic takes his phone from his pocket and walks to the side to have his discussion, and I’m sure he will also be mentioning that the secret of Felisha and me is out in the wind now too. Poor Rem and our security team are going to hate me again, just when things were finally settling down.

“Look, this is just an offer, but I still know people who know people, and I can guarantee they will have a way to get me in there. I know I’ve given you a lot to think about. I’m going to head down to the stables to be with Blaise and Elouise and let you all talk. Just sleep on it and let me know if you need me.” With that Cherie walks forward, and I move out of the way for her to lean down and hug Felisha.

“I know what it’s like to have a father who some days you wish was dead. But if I learnt one thing when I was getting through it, it was to rise above him. You need to make him pay and then walk away, never looking back. They say revenge is not healthy, but I will tell you differently. Am I proud I think that way? No. But it’s the best fucking feeling, as long as you do it within your moral compass, because you have to be able to sleep with it every night.” Seeing a few tears in Cherie’s eyes, I know that reliving memories of her tough life is not a fun time.

I wish it was me who could go in and take the hit for Felisha, but I’m too well known, and now that she has just dropped the bombshell on him that we are together, he will be out for blood from me too. Besides, I would never do anything to tarnish the Darby Hotels reputation because of my name. The video was bad enough, but still, seen by some as innocent in a way.

And we still have the problem of Fulton Anderson to deal with.

“I think we need to take you home. Everyone will keep working on squashing the fake story in the papers and finding the dirty details we need about the gambling.” I hold my hand out to Felisha to help her up from the seat.

“I’m already voting it’s a no go,” Forrest declares to us all. “It’s too dangerous, and I don’t think Cherie knows what she is walking into.”

“No one is voting on anything. This is Felisha’s life, it will be her choice what she decides to do.” I glare at Forrest and then look to Rem. “Keep me updated, and can you make sure Harper gets home okay, please?”

“I need to say goodbye.” Nodding at Felisha, we start walking toward the house, and Nic gives me a nod on the way past.

Watching Felisha speak to Harper in their little huddle, I can see all the emotions she is feeling—anger, shock, sadness, and just pure confusion. We need to sit in a calm environment just the two of us and talk through it all.

Once we are finally in the car, it’s not the perfect place, but we are stuck here for the next hour.

“Tell me what is going on in that intense brain of yours.” Looking at her, I can see that her shoulders are rigid, her hands are clasped together, and her leg is bouncing with nervous energy.

“You have no idea how much I’m trying to sort out in here. It’s like all my ducks that a year ago were lined up perfectly, have since had a dozen ducklings each. And all those ducklings are little bastards who are running wild and not listening to a word their parents are saying. There is pure anarchy happening, and no one is in charge. They all have an idea how to fix their little problem but don’t care about the other twenty-five problems that are happening around them. I don’t even like ducks! They leave their poop everywhere, and they steal your food in the parks. So yeah, my head is full of duck shit and rioting!” It’s like she hasn’t even stopped to take a breath when she gets to the end of her diatribe.

“Okay… not what I was expecting, but it works.” I’m trying to work out what to say next when all of a sudden, she starts laughing out loud. Throws her head back against the seat and really lets it all go, laughing so hard she is crying. I don’t say a word and just laugh with her because nobody could script her life any weirder if they tried.

Eventually the laughter slows, and the tears, although they are still there, are drying up.

“They say you don’t know whether to laugh or cry at times, well fuck it, I did both.” She wipes her face while I reach for the tissues in the console.

“But do you feel better for it?”

“Yes… no… I have no idea.” And that is the pure honesty of the situation.

“It’s fucked up,” I mumble.

“No shit,” she replies.

“When I met you, I thought you were the ballsiest woman I had ever met. Strong, powerful, and running your life the way you wanted it.” Leaning across, I take her hand in mine.

“Did you feel threatened by the scary woman?”

“Damn straight I did, and I’m not even kidding. That night you picked me up in the bar, no one had ever told me so boldly what they wanted. It was sexy as fuck, and I would have done whatever you asked.”

“Oh, the big strong man was tamed by the scary woman.” And the laugh from her is music to my ears.

“I knew the moment I pinned you against that wall in your room and your lips touched mine that you had me by the balls. What I didn’t know was how hard it would be to get you to give them back.” I’m not kidding that she hooked part of me that night, and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t release her from my soul.

“Well, I’ll admit you were the first man that I wanted to keep those balls and tuck them away, hoping one day in my fantasy world you would come back looking for them. I hoped that I hadn’t scared you away.”

“Can we stop talking about my balls? They are feeling very vulnerable right now.” To which she smiles at me.

“I know it all seems like a lot right now, but be that kickass woman who seduced me that night. Don’t sit back and take shit from anyone. I swear I have seen grown men weep after walking out of meetings with you.”

“Don’t talk shit.” She pushes against my bicep with her free hand.

“I’m not. There is a private support group for all the men that Lady Felisha Kentwall has torn shreds off and taken away their man card in a business negotiation. They meet once a month, I almost joined.” I love that the more we joke, the lighter her body looks.

“You can be such an ass at times.”

“I’ve been called worse… by many people, including you.” She giggles a little. “So, what do you say, can we bring back the raging bull? Because I really like her.”

“You just like when she pins you to the bed and has her way with you.”

“Yes, I do. Can we do that later too?” I wiggle my eyebrows up and down a few times.

And as expected, I don’t get an answer to that.

Her momentary silence is broken with the words that I think give us both some relief. “Game on. You asked me in Australia if I was ready to fight, well, the answer is still yes.” Determination is now written all over her face. “No one gets to push me into a hole. And any man who thinks he can better be prepared for what is coming for him.”

“Yeah, baby!” I cheer her on.

She picks up her phone from her bag at her feet.

“I am going to put this on speaker because I have nothing to hide, but I swear if you make one sound or say one word, those balls we were just talking about will get cut off with a blunt knife this time.” And she’s back. This is the Felisha we need to get this mess cleaned up.

“Noted.”

I watch her chest rise with a deep breath, and then she pushes the contact in her phone, and I can’t see if it’s her father or Fulton, but either way, keeping my mouth shut will be the hardest thing I’ve done in my life.

“My darling, I know I said I was a patient man, but you have ignored all my messages and phone calls all day. Is your friend dying or something?” Fulton’s deep voice fills the car, and my teeth clench so hard that I know my jaw is going to be aching later. Taking my hand from hers, I clamp them both on the steering wheel so hard that it hurts, but I don’t care.

“What the hell did you tell The Sun this morning?” Felisha doesn’t waste any time and cuts straight to the important things.

“I don’t like your tone, Felisha. Where are you? I’ll come to you, and we can discuss our plans like I wanted to last night. While I undress?—”

“Answer my question, asshole!” she yells at him, cutting him off from saying something that will probably make me crash this car.

“You know that’s what you wanted, that’s why you kept coming back to me. Marriage will make it more convenient for both of us. You won’t have to wait for me to return.” He is just digging himself a deeper hole. “I know you are probably sleep-deprived from last night, so I’ll excuse your bad mood, and once I get there, we can straighten all this out.” Felisha was right, he is like Ewan but smoother in the way he speaks. Still sickening, though, and full of manipulation.

“I’ll straighten this out right now. We are done. You will never see me, message, or call me again. And you certainly will never touch me again. I don’t know what you wanted from me, but it was obviously more than just my companionship and friendship. If you think because I’m about to take control of my company that you could somehow marry your way into that too, you are sorely mistaken. No man will ever control me that way, not my father, not you, and the man who does love me in the truest form would never even try. So, whatever you thought this was, it’s not. This is goodbye—actually, no, it’s fuck off and don’t ever contact me again.” Pushing the end button on her phone, she is breathing hard with the adrenaline rushing through her body.

We are both still breathing hard and staring straight ahead, but I know I need to say something. But in true Flynn style, I lead with a joke because that is what has gotten me through every uncomfortable situation in my life, so why change habits now?

“You should have given him the website for the ‘Felisha Kentwall took my man card’ support group. I have a feeling he will need it.”

She turns to look at me. “You are such an idiot.”

“Maybe, but I’m so fucking proud of you.”

I relax my fingers just a little on the steering wheel so I can get a little circulation back into them.

“Don’t ever let any man make you feel smaller than them.” I’m serious and want to make sure she knows I mean every word of it. “Not even me.”

Leaning across, she kisses me long and soft on my cheek, and as she pulls away, she says the words that mean the world to me. “A real man would never try. I didn’t realize that until I met you.”

Sitting back into her seat, her next words almost make me pull the car over and take her in my arms and never let go. “When you are your true self, Flynn, it allows me to be true to myself too. I waited a long time for you, Flynn Taylor.”

The emotion in me only lets me get out one word. “Same,” I choke out.

It took Felisha coming into my life to understand who I am, and that is the man that she is helping me to be.

I’m no longer in anyone’s shadow.

I have found the place I belong, and it’s not alone. It’s with her.

Now to tackle the next demon… Ewan Kentwall.

If ads affect your reading experience, click here to remove ads on this page.