More Nights With Kate (Jack Ryker) (19 page)

As I sat there determined not to shed another tear, I once
again heard voices out in the hallway. 
It’s time to leave my issues
with Dad in the past.

“We’ll need to run those tests again in 30 days to see if
they’ve stabilized,” I heard the Dr. Salvatore telling him.

“I’m sure they will be fine,” was Jack’s confident reply.

“At that time, we can talk more about doing a reversal as
well,” Dr. Salvatore added.  “I have a colleague who has a great success
rate.”

A reversal?  I only know one kind of reversal. 
Oh my god, Jack!

“Sure. It’s not a rush, but I want to explore my options,”
Jack replied in a hushed tone.

“Alright, I’ll see you in a month.  Good luck, Jack.”

A couple of seconds later, the door to the waiting room
swung open once again.  I looked down at my phone, pretending to be
distracted.  I didn’t want him to know that I had overheard their
conversation.  My eyes were still misty, but I was overcome with joy on
the inside.

“What’s wrong?” Jack asked immediately when I looked up at
him.

Despite my efforts to contain all of the emotions I was
feeling, I instantly burst into tears.  They were mostly tears of joy, but
there were a few tears of a brokenhearted little girl mixed in as well. 
Two men in my life were both 49 years old; their age, however, was the only
common thread between them.  I had witnessed first-hand how Jack nurtured
his children, helping to guide them on a path that he felt would best serve
them.  My father on the other hand, was a taker; always expecting others
to pay for his mistakes. 
I’m embarrassed to even admit that I’m his
daughter.

“Talk to me,” Jack coaxed, as he took the seat next to me
and reached out for my hand.

“It’s my dad… I really don’t want to talk about it right
now.  Are you okay?” I asked, diverting the topic.

“I’m great,” he replied with that sparkle in his eyes.

“The cardiologist sounded pretty concerned,” I countered.

“He’s only concerned because he is unfamiliar with what he
is seeing in my test results.  I’m not the least bit concerned,” he
assured me with a squeeze of my hand.

“What do you mean?”

“People just don’t start an aggressive cardio program days
after stem cell treatment; however, my intuition told me to do it.  My
body is reacting in a way that he has never seen before, but I guarantee you
that it’s all good.”

“But, he’s not convinced?”

“Actually, he thinks I’ve been taking anabolic
steroids.  How ridiculous is that?” Jack laughed.

“Yeah, that’s crazy.” 
However, it would explain a
few things.

“What’s wrong with your father?” Jack pressed, still not quite
understanding my mixed emotions.

“It’s nothing, Jack.  I’ll have to deal with it
later.  Let’s get out of here,” I suggested, not wanting to have such an
embarrassing conversation in the waiting room of a clinic.

~~~

Jack

With a fresh batch of stem cells in my system, I was ready
to say goodbye to Freeport.  Even though I enjoyed the laid-back
environment of the Bahamas, I was ready to move on to bigger and better
things. 
Kate’s right, I would’ve been terribly bored if I had actually
retired.
 

I didn’t press the issue concerning her dad, because I
already knew that he was in financial trouble.  Anthony had done a little
digging for me, and he found exactly what I had suspected.  I would have
access to her phone when we arrived at the airport, so I could retrieve his
number at that time. 
I’m going to put an end to whatever game that
cocksucker is playing with her.  He made Cynthia’s life difficult for
years, and he’s not going to do the same to Kate.

As our car made its way onto the freeway, I glanced up to
the left.  The same helicopter we had seen a few days earlier was flying
just along the coastline. 
Sight-seeing I’m sure.

“Would you be against having dinner in the city tonight?” I
asked much to her surprise.

“Not at all… Why? What’s going on?”

“It appears that we still have company, and I want to be
certain that they are convinced that we have left the island.”

“So we are actually going to leave?”

“Yes. We’ll go back, and I’ll take you to Le Bernardin
tonight to celebrate my clean bill of health.”

“The clean bill of health you gave yourself?” She rolled her
eyes, seeming unfazed by the fact that someone was still following us.

“Don’t worry.  The doc will come to the same conclusion
in 30 days.  In the meantime, I’ve been craving filet mignon with
mushrooms and mole sauce.”

“Filet, huh?  You are really stepping outside of your
comfort zone,” she teased.

“Have you backed up all of your contacts?”

“Yup, they’re already on my new phone.”

“Good.  When we get to the city, send a text to all of
them.  Let them know that you will no longer be using that phone.”

 “There will probably be a few that I won’t want to
reconnect with,” she replied with a sad smile.

“This is a good opportunity to clean them out,” I assured
her.

“I’ve always had a hard time breaking ties.”

“It’s not easy, but I’ll help you.  You can start by
giving me your father’s phone number.”

“Why… what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to help him out.”

“Really… you guys don’t even get along.”

“But he is your father, and I love you.  I want him to
leave you and your mother alone, in exchange for my help.”

“You have no idea how much Mom would appreciate that,” she
said with a look of relief.

“I know that he has been tough on her over the years, and I
have always felt bad for her.  She did a good job of shielding you and
your sister from him, though.”

“That’s true.  Only recently have we started to realize
just how horrible he was to her,” Kate admitted with a look of sorrow on her
face. 

“Cynthia is a strong woman, and I’m sure that you will find
a good role for her as our business flourishes.  For now, I’m going to
help both of you by getting him out of your lives.  If either of you
choose to re-establish a relationship with him later on, that will be
completely your choice.”

“How much trouble is he in?” she asked with a growing look
of concern.

“He’s totally fucked, and that’s putting it mildly.”

“Alright, here’s his number,” she said handing me her phone.

Kate

Even though I was really relieved by what Jack was doing, it
still left me with mixed emotions
.  I can’t believe Mom never explained
things to us. 
She always led us to believe that he was a good father,
right to the bitter end, and we just took her word for it.  Even after he
left, she continued to make excuses for why he hadn’t contacted us on our
birthdays or at Christmas.   
I know that she thought she was
protecting us, but she should’ve just let us know what was really going on.

Once we got onto the plane, Jack immediately excused himself
and went into the small office in the back.  I stayed up front, because it
was obvious that he didn’t want me to hear the conversation
.  I hope he
can somehow get Dad to change his ways before it’s too late.

Jack

A lack of self-esteem not only destroys a man, but can also
be a huge burden on the entire family.  Phil Westby wasn’t inherently a
bad guy, but he had always had a knack for making bad choices.  Education,
focus, and determination are the only paths to success in this world. 
Phil spent his entire career looking for short cuts and trying to crash someone
else’s party. 
There are no short cuts, and if you are able to crash
someone else’s party, it’s usually because the party is almost over.

“This is Phil,” he said hesitantly as he answered my call.

“Hello, Phil, this is Jack…  Jack Ryker.”

“Jack, wow this is a surprise.  I assume Kate asked you
to give me a call.”

“No.  She didn’t, actually, but she’s been quite
upset.”

“About me contacting her?” he asked, seeming surprised.

“We both know why you contacted her after all of this
time.  It’s not because you wanted to wish her well or simply talk. 
It was because you heard that we were together, that she was starting a
company, and you are in desperate need of cash.”

“I just wanted to talk to her,” he insisted.

“Phil, I know who you borrowed from, so you must have been
incredibly desperate.”

“It started out small.  I never intended for it to
escalate like this,” he admitted.

“That’s how it happens to everyone, Phil.  You borrow a
little and they treat you good.  It isn’t until you owe them a lot; that’s
when you realize that you have sold out to the devil.  How long do you
have?”

“My time is up, Jack.  That’s why I had to call. 
No one else can help,” he pleaded, sounding as if he was on the verge of
breaking down.

“I know.  That’s why I’m going to help you, but I want
something in return.”

“Anything, Jack, you just name it.  I’ll do anything
you want.”

“I’ll make a call and square things up.  In return, I
want you to get a job,” I said, hesitating for emphasis.

“Fine, I’ll get a job.  Maybe I could work for you?”

“No.  Go make an honest living for once.  Also, if
you
ever
contact Cynthia or either of your daughters again, our deal is
off,” I said in the gravest tone possible.

“Never?” he replied.

“If they choose to contact you, I’m fine with it.  But
if you ever contact any of them, I will send a message to the boss, and you
know what that will mean.”

“My god, Jack, you would do that?” he gasped.

“Phil, do you really think that your life is worth $2.4
million to me?”

 “Probably not,” he admitted after a considerable
pause.

“I’m only willing to pay it under the condition that you
permanently stay out of their lives,” I reiterated for him.

“My wife just left me, Jack,” he pleaded.

“That’s why you need to get a real job and make a fresh
start.  Quit pretending to be something that you’re not.  I’m giving
you a one-time chance here.  I’ll even throw in an extra hundred grand of
cash to help you make the transition,” I added, as a final ultimatum.

“Okay,” he said wisely, accepting my offer.

I knew that he would sell out Cynthia and both girls for
$100,000 cash. 
I decided it would be best to have Anthony deliver the
cash to Phil in person, before leaving on our mission.  He would be the
best one to reinforce the terms of my offer. 
Maybe I’ll send all three
boys up there.  Really give him something to remember.

Kate

“When we get back to the office, I’m going to settle up your
dad’s account.  He definitely borrowed from the lender of last resort,”
Jack said, as he rejoined me.

“So he’s going to be alright?”

“He’s going to be just fine, as long as he can change his
ways.  The conditions of my offer were that he had to get a job and he can
never initiate contact with you, your sister, or your mother.”

“And he agreed to that?” 
Not that it would be any
different from the last few years.

“Yes.  There was a moment of hesitation, but he
agreed.  I also told him that I wouldn’t be upset if any of you decided to
contact him at some point.  So you can reach out to him if you ever feel
the need,” he reassured me
.

“Thank you, Jack, but I’m not sure I understand why you
would give him thousands of dollars.”

“He was indebted to the mob for well over two million, so
very few people could have helped him,” he informed me with a dead serious look
in his eyes.

“Two million? How the hell…”

“The numbers inflate quickly when you’re dealing with guys
like that.  It had gotten to the point where they knew that it was dead
money.  Since they don’t want to kill off the guy who owes them, they tend
to use leverage, family members, for example.  He had put your entire
family at risk.”

“My god, they could’ve done something to Mom or
Belinda?” 
What a selfish bastard!

“Or you, Kate.  That’s why I took care of it. 
Besides, now the mob will owe me one...  and that might come in handy one
day.”

I can’t believe my dad would do something like that,
was
the first thought that went through my head.  However, in all honesty,
that’s exactly what I should’ve expected from him. 
How the hell did he
lose over two million dollars, though?  That’s a crazy amount of
money.  My god, I’m embarrassed for him.
 

“We don’t get the opportunity to choose our parents, Kate,”
Jack reminded me, seeing the obvious agony on my face.

“I know, but at this point, I really am embarrassed that
he’s my father.”

“Don’t be embarrassed by him.  I’m impressed that you
turned out to be such a wonderful, talented, and caring person, despite having
daddy issues,” he said in his teasing tone.

“I’ll show you daddy issues…”

Jack

I could see that Kate thought that paying off her father’s
debt was a spectacular act of generosity on my part, but there really wasn’t
much of a choice.  If his new wife was gone, Cynthia and Belinda would’ve
been at the top of the mob’s list.  I loved Kate and ensuring the safety
of her and her family was a priority.  By paying off the debt, I knew that
we could go forward with our plans and not have any negative surprises because of
her moronic father. 
I don’t want any additional distractions.

“Are we going to have to keep running from this Sau-Ming
guy?” Kate asked, after being in deep thought for several minutes.

“We aren’t running, Kate.  It may not feel like it yet,
but we are actually taking the offensive at this point.  You will see this
as the next few days unfold.”

“How dangerous is he?”

“He is someone who forces young girls to work 16 hour days
and allows them to be used as sex slaves.  He obviously has very little
regard for human life.  That lack of basic moral values makes him quite
dangerous, which is why I’m putting Anthony in charge of dealing with him.”

“I’m glad he’s in charge.  I don’t want you near him or
his sex slaves,” Kate replied, trying to lighten the moment.

“No sex slave could possibly compete with you.” 
I’ll
be lucky if I can keep up with
one
young woman.

Kate gave me a smile and once again fell quiet.  I
could tell that she was still trying to process everything that was going on
around us.  Between the family dynamics, my health issues, and being
followed by Sau-Ming’s people, it was sure to be a little overwhelming for her.

“The other day you told me that you wanted to live a life of
adventure.  Are you having second thoughts?” I asked.

“No… but I want it to be a fun adventure.  I don’t want
to be dodging bullets or receiving bomb threats,” she replied with the cutest
expression on her face.

“Don’t worry about any of that, sweetie.  I’ll take
good care of you.” I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close.

“I’m not really all that worried,” she said as we took off
down the runway.  “I can see how everything is coming together, but there
always seems to be obstacles and problems.”

“No matter who you are, or what you do, there will always be
problems. What separates the winners from the losers is how you handle those
problems.  So far, I don’t see anything on the horizon that we can’t
handle.” 

“I’m just glad that we will be working together because
that’s what I really wanted.  I couldn’t imagine a better partner to work
with,” she confided, running her fingers along my collar.

“Thank you, I feel the same way.  I think that we are
going to have one hell of a ride.”

That reminds me, I need to stop by Tiffany’s to take a
look at the gem that Margaux has been telling me about.  I’ve never seen a
25 carat diamond, much less thought that I would ever be in the market for one.
 
As I looked down at Kate’s petite hand, I had to laugh at the thought of such a
monster rock weighing her down
.  I might have to scale it down just a
bit.

Either way, I plan on marrying this woman one day if
everything goes as planned.
 

Thank you for
reading!

I’m currently working
on the third and final book in this series.  I’m hoping to have it out by late
March.  If you have any comments or suggestions feel free to contact me
at: 
[email protected]

Bonus Sex Scene:

If you enjoy the sex
scenes and want to see what happened next on the plane ride back to New York
please visit the site below!