Monroe, Marla - The Bikers and the Socialite [The Dirty Dozen 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (17 page)

“Sure. Just tell me where.”

Parker gave her directions to a diner not far from either of them. She promised to meet her there in thirty minutes.

After hanging up, she jumped in the shower then dried off and scrambled to dress as quietly as she could in hopes of not waking up the guys. She hurried downstairs to put her shoes on and found a paper and pen to leave them a note.

Meeting Sarah Beth for early lunch. Will be back soon. Parker

“You’ll need help to work the alarm, Parker.”

She jerked around to find Allen standing in the kitchen doorway with nothing but a pair of unbuttoned jeans on and a sleepy expression.

“I’m sorry I woke you up. I left a note. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“Why don’t you let me dress and I’ll take you? I don’t like for you to be out by yourself with everything going on.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m meeting Sarah Beth to talk. My stepmother is working with Michael to get me committed. I need to know what is going on.”

“You’re not going alone then, Parker. This could be a setup.” He held up his hand. “I’m not saying Sarah Beth is a part of it, but she could be followed. Let me throw on some clothes. Please.”

She bit her lower lip, but nodded. Maybe he was right and she was just walking into something she wouldn’t be able to get out of.

“Where are you meeting her?”

Parker told him about the diner and waited as he ran upstairs to get dressed. She checked her watch and grimaced. Just when she was about to take a chance and brave the security system, he came bounding down the stairs with Shane right behind him.

“Let’s go.” Allen fooled with the keypad then opened the kitchen door to the garage.

He closed and locked the doors as Shane got the garage door opened and pulled out his bike.

“Ride with me, baby.” Shane held up a helmet for her. She snapped it on and climbed on back.

Allen pulled out right behind them. They raced through traffic and made it to the diner with seconds to spare. Once Parker had climbed off, the guys stood close to her and walked her inside to where Sarah Beth and her fiancé were sitting in a small booth in back.

James Thornton stood up. He extended his hand and signaled the waitress that they were going to change booths.

“We’ll take the large one in the back,” he told her. The five of them scooted into the large circular booth.

“I’m so glad you didn’t come alone. I’ve been so worried about you. Michael and your stepmother are pushing to have you declared mentally incapable of raising a child. She wants custody. I think Michael is sleeping with her.” Sarah Beth was frantic.

James patted her hand. “Nothing is going to happen, honey.”

“Damn right it’s not,” Allen said. “She’s the one who is crazy if she thinks she can have Parker thrown in an asylum.”

“If you don’t show up at the hearing tomorrow, they may be able to do it, Parker.”

“What hearing? How can they have something like that without notifying me?”

“You haven’t been around lately. They said they’ve tried to find you, but can’t. Michael has been spreading the rumor that you’re, um, having sex with a gang of bikers.”

“Aw, hell.” Shane leaned back against the vinyl of the booth seat.

“I don’t think their wives would appreciate that,” Parker said.

“This isn’t funny, Parker!” Sarah Beth was beside herself.

“Easy, honey.” James took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m sure her men will take care of everything.”

“James, you’re a lawyer. I want to hire you to represent me. What do I need to do?”

“Parker, I’ll be glad to help you in any way I can, but I’m an estate lawyer, not the type you actually need.”

“Don’t worry about a lawyer, baby. We’ve got that covered.” Allen stood up and slipped out of the booth. “I’ll be right back.”

The waitress returned with their drink orders then left them alone again. Parker was growing nervous now. She hadn’t expected this change of events.

“So, what do you suggest Parker do to protect herself against them?”

“Well, to be honest with you, the best thing she can do is get married.”

“Married?” Parker frowned. “What has getting married got to do with anything?”

“Your husband will be your official next of kin and can keep you out of a hospital. He can also take custody of the baby should anything happen. I don’t mean to be morbid, but you know how I feel about your father’s death, Parker.” James sighed.

“I can’t just get married to keep from going to a hospital. That’s not right. I shouldn’t have to prove anything to anyone. I’ve never been in any type of trouble.”

“Parker, you and Sarah Beth both have pushed the envelope so many times that the right judge and the right doctor will declare you mentally unstable and a danger to yourself and your baby.”

“I’m not going to let them do this to me. I can’t believe this is happening.” Parker wrapped her arms around herself. Shane pulled her in closer to him.

“We really appreciate you letting us know all of this. Where is the hearing tomorrow?”

“Judge Hancock’s chambers at 10:00 a.m. Dr. Adrian will be there, Parker. He is the one who treated you after you found your father’s body. He’s going to tell them that you’re still mentally unstable from that and that you’re delusional about how he died.”

“Delusional my ass. Elaine pushed him down those stairs. She’d done it before, but he’d been lucky.”

“Parker, if you get married, everything would be taken care of, but you would lose the rest of your inheritance to her. I doubt Shane and Allen would be able to help manage Montgomery Oil.”

“I don’t give a damn about the money, Sarah Beth. As much as I don’t want her to get her hands on it, I would still have my half and my child would be safe. I have to think.”

Allen returned to the booth and looked at Shane with a confident expression.

“What is it, Allen?” Parker asked, catching their exchange.

“I have our lawyer, and he’s going to represent you. He’s in family law. He wants to see us as soon as we can get to his office.”

“Here’s my card. Tell him to call me if he has any questions about the conditions of her father’s will or what’s going on over on this side of the street.” James handed Allen his card and winked. “I’m going to take Sarah Beth home and get her calmed down. She’s been a nervous wreck ever since she found out.”

They paid their tab and filed out of the diner. Parker felt as if her entire world had been blown apart with her still on it. What was she going to do? Her stepmother could pull it off if anyone could. The bitch was rich and devious. She rode behind Allen this time and relaxed against his back as they headed for the business district of Dallas. The tall, concrete buildings seemed so cold and impersonal to Parker. She much preferred the warm neighborhood where Shane and Allen lived. It felt like a home to her. Even her condo no longer felt right.

They pulled into a parking garage then took an elevator to the twelfth floor of the office building. Allen walked up to the secretary and informed her of their appointment with Mr. Coulter and was told it would be just a few minutes. He was on the phone.

“Parker, baby. No matter what we need to do, we’ll do it. Try not to worry.” Allen kept rubbing her shoulder.

She was secretly thankful for the comforting touch of his hand. She leaned against Shane’s sturdy chest.

“Excuse me. Mr. Coulter will see you now.” She led them to an office and closed the doors behind them.

Andrew Coulter was a man of medium height and medium build. He had sandy-blond hair and a kind face. He was somewhere in his mid-fifties. He stood up and rounded the end of the desk to shake their hands.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I just wish it had been under better circumstances. Ms. Montgomery, have a seat and fill me in on what’s going on. Allen gave me the bare nuts and bolts.”

Parker drew in a deep breath and filled him in on everything that had happened from her first meeting with Allen and Shane to what they had just found out. She then told him about her father’s death and his will.

Allen handed him James Thornton’s card. “He said if you have any questions we couldn’t answer, he would be happy to fill you in.

“Well, let me just tell you some basic facts, and then we’ll go from there. I know the judge your stepmother is, um, involved with. He can easily be bought. I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of his gavel, Parker. The second thing is James is right. Your best bet is to get married. If we had time, I would see if there was a way around the will, but you just don’t have a lot of time.”

“I don’t care about the will. I just hate that I have to have a husband to fight her on this. I want to get married when I decide to get married, and not because I have to.”

“I can understand that. I will be glad to fight this with you, but because of the short amount of time, I’m afraid we are out of options. If we can get an extension, I can line up some witnesses to prove you’re stable and have a physician declare you mentally capable of taking care of yourself and your baby.”

“What do we need to do to get an extension?” Allen asked.

“I’ve already contacted the judge in anticipation of needing one and am waiting to hear back from him. In the meantime, I’d like permission to explore your situation, Mr. Ratliff.”

“Whatever you need to take care of Parker.” Shane signed his name to the release.

“Baby? Why don’t we fly to Las Vegas and get married. It will assure that no one can do anything to you or the baby.” Allen took her hand. “You know how we feel.”

“Mr. Coulter, will my having two men in my life cause a problem for me with my baby?”

He sighed and grimaced. “It shouldn’t, but I can’t promise it won’t. You’re going to have a lot of publicity with this. It means every aspect of your life will be fodder for the public’s right to know. I don’t think the judge can do anything based solely on how many men you sleep with, but he can sensationalize it.”

“It’s all about the money.” Parker hung her head.

Well, she’d show that bitch. She would marry her men and prove that money didn’t matter to her. She had all she needed to take care of her baby. She just wished she could have said yes to them without being made to.

“Okay, let’s get plane tickets to Las Vegas. Which one of you guys is going to make me an honest woman?”

Allen and Shane both grinned from ear to ear. She was making their day even as she was possibly losing a dream.

Chapter Fourteen

They took a five o’clock flight back from Las Vegas to Dallas, as man and wife. She and Shane were officially married. She had said vows privately with both of them at midnight in front of the gang at their house. Now all that was left was to make it through the hearing.

“Baby, you really need to try to sleep some. You’re going to be worn out at the hearing.” Shane kept trying to get her to go to bed.

“I can’t sleep. I’m too keyed up. I’ll just toss and turn.”

“Then come over here and lie down on the couch with us. We’ll put in a movie and you can relax.”

Parker reluctantly let them lead her to the couch where they each took an end and draped her over them. Allen had her feet and Shane her head. For the next two hours, she dozed off and on while they watched some action movie with lots of car-chase scenes. When the clock said seven, Shane roused her and helped her get a shower and change into something presentable.