The Tycoon's Secret - Baby for the Billionaire - Book Four (Baby for the Billionare) (2 page)

Damien
still never forgot where he came from – never forgot the promise he made to his mother. There were weeks, months, years even when it was pushed to the back of his mind. Only because of Trinity, because of his love for his friend. Revenge would happen, though – at any cost.

Fifteen Years Later

Sierra was exhausted.

Deeply, utterly, fall-on-her-face exhausted.

She also had a feeling of unmitigated accomplishment. The wedding was over. With zero regret, she tossed the slightly wilted
Calla Lilies into the nearest garbage can, and then found a chair to rest in for a few minutes.

It had been a circus, but it was over. Her
incredibly
babied, and
very
spoiled little sister was married to the man of her dreams. She loved her sister, though she didn’t know why, really. For the past twenty-three years, her father had dotted on Sandy, spoiled her, given her everything.

He hadn’t been so kind to Sierra. She’d never forget when she was six years old, her sister only
four. Their mother had died in an automobile crash. From that moment on, her life had been hell.

Her father told her almost daily that her mother was a cheating whore and that Sierra most likely wasn’t even his kid. He’d also told her, he owned her and would make her pay for her mother’s transgressions. The beatings had begun, only escalating through the years.

He was a smart man, respected in the business community. She feared him, knowing he could make her life so much worse than it was. She’d learned at a young age if she just suffered silently through the pain, he’d stop much faster. If she shouted out, he seemed to get an evil glee from it, and would go on and on.

She ran away once. A shiver passed through her body remembering the pain she’d gone through when he’d found her. She’d been bruised from head to toe, unable to leave
her bed for two weeks. Her father had kept her at a cottage on the outskirts of town so the servants wouldn’t get suspicious.

Though a couple had been brave enough not only
to suspect, but ask her if she was okay, she learned quickly never to say anything. The sympathetic employees quickly disappeared. Soon, no one would help her, or look out for her. She learned silent suffering was the key to survival.

Sierra looked around the reception as she pulled herself out of her depressing memories. The event was still going strong, causing her to sigh. Her sister had departed a while ago, amid a sea of birdseed, and the crowd calling out advice. The moment the
Limo pulled away, Sierra’s fake smile had vanished.

Friends
,
from near and far, were taking advantage of the open bar, free food, and euphoria at being at the exclusive country club. It was all a joke. None of them cared one iota about Sandy. Sierra figured it didn’t matter as her little sister didn’t care about anyone but herself, anyway.

The one positive note to the entire charade was that at least Sierra wouldn’t have to watch as Sandy acted like a brat, threw a fit, and then got her way. She’d learned quickly that if Sierra didn’t do what she wanted, all she had to do was complain to her father
, and he’d make Sierra into Sandy’s servant.

Sandy was Mason’s problem now
, and Sierra hoped her father would let her leave now that Sandy had moved out. There was no reason to keep her locked up in his enormous mansion.

Sierra felt the slightest pang to her heart as Mason’s name popped into her head. She slowly got to her feet, making her way up to her room. Thank goodness she was staying there that night. She didn’t have the energy to drive home.

As she climbed in the elevator, her heart pounded while thinking about Mason. She thought she’d been in love with him, deeply, over-the-moon in love. She may have been, but it had obviously been one sided because the moment Sandy decided she wanted him, he’d followed her sister like the willing puppy he’d turned out to be.

His pathetic apology and explanation of not being able to control his heart hadn’t helped Sierra’s pride – not one little bit.

The wedding had taken place in only four months, and their father had seemed to think there was nothing amiss with Sandy suddenly marrying Sierra’s boyfriend. When Sierra had made the slightest comment about it being wrong, her father had begun his lecture of how Sierra needed to keep her jealousy of her perfect sister to herself.

Sierra hadn’t dared argue any further. If she
honestly thought about it, she’d only wanted to be with Mason to get away from her father, anyway. Surprisingly, her dad had approved of her relationship with his faithful employee.

Sandy had demanded a perfect wedding with her flawless groom, and that’s what she’d gotten – a
glamorous event, attended by Hollywood actors, musicians, and the elite of the elite. People wanted to attend the wedding of one of the wealthiest men in the United States. They may be able to get something from him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Sierra said out loud, trying to convince herself. She needed to let the entire thing go. She was lucky to have found out what a creep Mason was so early in their relationship. It could’ve been worse. She could’ve married him, and then been humiliated when he left her for her sister.

Standing as her sister’s maid of honor and holding her ridiculously gaudy bouquet of flowers while Mason swept Sandy into his arms, kissing her in front of everyone couldn’t be humiliation enough for Sierra. Sandy also had to toss her bouquet straight into Sierra’s hands during the reception.

Sierra had smiled as if she was thrilled, but she hadn’t missed the snickers as people behind her made comments about her never using the flowers since she couldn’t keep a man long enough to get him to walk her down the aisle. When she heard the woman add that at least she didn’t have any other sister’s to steal her man, Sierra was done.

Mason worked for her father, and marrying either Sierra or Sandy pretty much sealed the deal of him becoming the corporation’s next CEO. He’d moved his way toward the top, and when he’d hit the mother-load by marrying the owner’s daughter, he got it all. He would’ve settled for Sierra, but why settle when he could have Sandy, everyone’s choice of the better of the two siblings.

Sierra finally made it to her room and swiped the key card across the reader, grateful when it registered on the first try. She stepped inside and tightly closed the door behind her. All she wanted was freedom, and maybe, just maybe, that’s what she’d finally get. Besides, she didn’t want to get married. Why place herself in a position where a man had control of her again. If she ever escaped her nightmare, she vowed to stay single the rest of her life.

She glanced at the clock, noting that it was just past midnight. Sandy and Mason were well on their way to Europe by now. Sierra felt more of a pang over her sister getting to visit one of the country’s
she’d
always wanted to go to, than over the loss of Mason.

With a sigh, Sierra unzipped the uncomfortable dress, letting it fall to the ground in a sea of satin. She kicked it away from her, knowing she wouldn’t take it from the hotel. She had no desire to wear it again. Let one of the maids find it. They’d appreciate the expensive dress more than she ever would.

Sierra didn’t need any more reminders of her sister’s wedding. She’d have plenty of daily reminders as she watched her happily married sister in the arms of her ex-boyfriend.

She took out the hundreds of pins from her up-do, a feeling of bliss overcoming her as the tight curtain of hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Her head ached, along with the
soles of her feet.

She jumped into the shower and massaged her scalp, dreading the next day. Her father wanted to speak to her. She had no clue what it was about, but he’d been so formal, it couldn’t be good.

Sierra managed to make her way back into the bedroom of her roomy suite, where she collapsed face-first onto the comfortable bed, and vowed not to get up until her body woke her. She knew the wrath of her father wasn’t worth an extra hour or two of rest, but she just couldn’t convince her physically and emotionally exhausted body of that.

One week earlier

Damien set the papers down on his desk and sat back. He was perplexed – intrigued but perplexed.

When he’d received the phone call yesterday, he’d thought it was a joke. A father couldn’t truly be serious – offering his child in exchange for money. Though, as Damien went through the files on Sierra Monroe, he was beginning to realize that her father, Douglas was more than serious.

The man was willing to trade his daughter for cash. Normally
, Damien wouldn’t give the scum of a man the time of day. His time was too valuable to waste, and he didn’t make poor business decisions.

However, he was curious – a
tremendously bad thing. What was in it for Sierra? Was she going along with her father? How far was she willing to go?

He looked at her photograph, picking it up from his desk for at least the twentieth time. She was attractive – more than attractive
, for that matter.

Her long dark hair was pinned back in the photo, and her dark brown, almost black eyes, were solemn as if she had secrets she was trying to hide from the world.

Her nose had the slightest bend to it as if it was broken at one time, but had healed nicely, giving her face an almost softer look. Her beauty was rounded off by her high cheekbones, and the oval shape to her face.

He hadn’t been intrigued in a long time over a woman, but Sierra Monroe had his undivided attention.

He’d placed a post a week ago, needing a new public relations representative. It was placed in extremely select listings as he didn’t want, nor need, the general public to apply. He wanted only the best.

T
he call from Douglas Monroe hadn’t been the call he’d been expecting. With irritation, he lifted his phone and dialed the man’s direct line.

“Douglas Monroe.”

“This is Damien Whitfield. I’ve thought about your offer, and I’ve decided to accept.” Damien felt no need to offer anything else.

“That’s great, Damien. Why don’t you come by my home tomorrow and we can sign the papers,” Douglas replied, excitement rushing
over the line.

Damien was even more disgusted.

“It’s Mr. Whitfield, and I have conditions,” Damien warned, to which there was a long pause on the other end of the line.

“What would those be?” the man finally asked
, not responding to the scolding of the man being too familiar with his name.

“Is your daughter aware of our…deal?”

“I’ve told her that it’s time she gets a job. She’s had it too easy for too long. It’s time she stops living off of me and learns how to make it in the real world,” Douglas said, evading the question.

She was a spoiled heiress, then. Damien should just let it go and move on, but for some reason he couldn’t. Well, he had a couple reasons. One of which was the people Sierra knew, the other, well, the other he still hadn’t figured out.

“Is she going to give me trouble?”

“Not at all, Mr. Whitfield. My daughter has been taught to behave,” Douglas said with an evil laugh.

A shudder rippled down Damien’s spine. He wasn’t even in the room with Douglas, but the man oozed filth. People like him would eventually fail. That’s why Damien was confident in his plans to finally keep his promise to his mother.

His supposed family was just like Douglas Monroe, full of greed and not afraid to walk on people to get what they wanted. They’d fail as well.

“Fine, I’ll meet you at your place, but not until next week. My attorney will have the paperwork ready.” Damien hung up the phone without saying anything further.

The less he talked to the slime ball, the more he’d be able to stomach making a deal with the devil.

Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he picked up the second stack of paperwork on his desk, this time a genuine smile popping out on his face. It was time. Finally, he had what he needed to start his takeover of the men who’d killed his parents.

It was long past time.

Damien’s lips turned up in what would look like a smile to the rest of the world. It may have even been a smile – or at least as much of one as he was capable of giving. He watched Sierra wearily stumble away.

Since making the deal with her father, he’d studied up on her, making sure he wanted to hire the spoiled heiress. The more he learned, the more intrigued he became. He was suddenly impatient to close the deal.

He thought about going after her, but he wasn’t an impulsive man, or at least with most people he wasn’t. His lips softened as he thought of his one and only friend, Trinity. His only impulsive act, ever, had been to offer to marry her.

He would’ve, too, had she said
yes
. Luckily, Drew, the baby’s father, had come back into her life, and not only wanted to do the right thing, but Drew was deeply in love with Trinity.

Damien didn’t believe in happily-ever-after love, but it was hard to deny that Trinity and Drew were, indeed, in love. The way they looked at each other was almost disturbing.