Billionairess's Dilemma: Reclaiming His Heart

20: The Rose

Ellis

I stare out the window of my office looking over the city. Laurel left me to pick up the kids and I'll be heading home soon too. I don't stay at the office until all hours anymore unless there's an emergency. Even then, I try to take it home with me. Laurel entered my life and changed everything. When they told us she had cancer, I almost burned the state to the ground. I couldn't lose her, I wouldn't survive. I can't figure out how my father raised me.

I turn slightly, seeing the reports on my desk. Forensic financial audits and trail tracing are time-consuming and terribly boring but you can learn so much. And now I know exactly who is trying to f**k with my family. They are in for a rude awakening because I will destroy them and every piece of their life. I've already started and they will have no corner or hole to hide in. That's the first step, leave no ground to go to for cover. Grant always said I should have been a wartime general in another life. And maybe he's right, but I consider this a war for the people I love. The net is built, we just need to close it and then end them.

I lift my phone and send a text to the shark squad. We've added Kevin because he's old enough to start learning how to protect what's his. He has enough enemies left from his name that he needs to know how to defend his family. In a few years, Hunter will join us too. He's crafty, my oldest mini me. He'll be a force to be reckoned with which pleases me. I want him to be able to protect his siblings and cousins.

I found them. We are meeting tomorrow at ten. Clear the day.

Goose is the first to respond always. Brad and I will bring breakfast. Tacos maybe for hungry sharks?

Klein is next. Don't forget the salsa this time. I'll bring coffee.

Laurel sends me a separate message. Am I invited?

I smile at that one. Always shortcake. You are almost as violent as me when it comes to avenging our family.

She is. She cut Cora down when she caught her spying on our kids at the park after Kevin's graduation. I was about to handle it when she did. Cora had been shocked. Laurel had always been firm but not as cold as that. She volunteered to tear Cora to shreds and feed her to a farm full of pigs. When she stammered that she was only wanting to see me, that had made it worse. Laurel made it very clear I was off limits.

Come home soon Jaws.

On my way shortcake.

I lock everything in my safe and head home. Walking in the door and hearing my kids scream my name will never get old. They still come running for hugs too. Laurel stands in the kitchen stirring dinner. "How bad is tomorrow going to be?'

"Rough, shortcake. Very rough for Kevin. But necessary."

"I assume they are already in your net." She arches one eyebrow and I smile at her.

"I haven't lost my touch Cinderelly." I wrap my arms around her waist.

She winks at me. "I know. You prove that every night."

"Behave Mrs. Beaumont, our children are still awake." She shoves at me playfully and I kiss her quickly before going to help the kids set the table.

The next morning, I watch our squad all take their seats. We haven't had any real drama in so long I had hoped we might be done. Should have known better I guess.

"This is going to be a lot. At no point, Kevin Harris are you to blame yourself." I warn him. "You are their target. Polly is a means to an end in a few ways. Let's begin."

Klein starts having helped me with most of this. "The Thorntons don't exist before fourteen years ago for a reason. They are made up. All the way up to the grandparents. The Haltoms do exist but this group of them are filching off the name. They don't have any true connection. Used a name from the family tree. This was all built by someone high up in the FBI. But it's been unraveling for a while. The mother, Lisa, is a woman named Theresa Zandt before she married her husband. Eric is really Anatoly and Archer's name is Stepan."

I interject. "We figured that out following the money trail using that offshore account to start with. The one they paid no taxes on meaning it was personal injury or wrongful death. But they have much more expensive tastes than that five million would cover. Anyone want to guess who ordered two reams of that fancy paper and one of those printers to use it in? If you say Lisa Thornton, you'd be correct."

"They are living off money they stole and that offshore account which actually is one of four she has. The one we found easily was from a wrongful death suit. A very twisted one that should have never been granted." Klein looks sick.

"They adopted a girl from Russia after her husband was killed. The timeframe of his death she gave Susannah was true. Little girl was run over by a very drunk judge one night around midnight. She was four." I tell them with absolute disgust in my voice. "The judge swore he only had one beer, but can remember nothing else. By the time he was conscious enough to clarify that it was too late to draw his blood. Which was conveniently missed when the police grabbed him at the scene of the crime."

"f**k they are truly sick." Brad breathes out, looking a little green.

"Sounds like that might not have been the only victim." My dad looks grimly at me.

I nod. "We have a few. Each one has a pattern, but we'll get back to their murderous ways later. She had to fun her lifestyle and she should have been the one in the Russian mob not her husband is all I'll say for now."

Kyle's eyes blaze as he continues to read. I know what he's seeing and the memories it brings back. f*****g Rick Yates...I'll never forget him no matter how long he rots six feet under.

"Andrei was a great help with this. Recognize that last name there?" I point to it on the presentation board.

"Abelov.....so the husband was Russian, Vadim Abelov." Laurel keeps reading. "He was an accountant for the Angeloff mob family. Caught by the FBI when he screwed up a wire transfer."

"s**t, did he have any idea what family he was crossing? I mean was it like his first day on the job and he lived under a rock?! He was f*****g stupid." Goose blurts out.

Brad shakes his head. "Why do people have death wishes?"

"He turned evidence to the FBI after they caught him. They put him under but Matvey Angeloff is vindictive. Andrei said even his father would not go against that guy. He found Vadim somehow. You cannot run from the Russian mob."

"I see we weren't wrong in guessing witness protection then." Dad says as he reads ahead.

Granddad clears his throat. He's furious. I know he read all the way to end quickly. "Are they under watch by us right now, Ellis? I want them zip tied with no hole to hide in. They are not touching my grandson!"

"Way ahead of you, Granddad. They have no loopholes and no escape plan. They bought a house to move to in Vanuatu. They are now on the do not enter list for that island and the other four that have no extradition treaties. Their house was sold out from under them yesterday. I own it now. Also, their money is frozen, but it doesn't appear that way."

Kevin stares up at me a little surprised. "No one f***s with you." I tell him. It's the same thing I said when that kid punched him at school and I had to go up there. I do not leave things open to be questioned. You know exactly how badly I want you ended once I start.

"They missed Vadim a few times. There were other casualties instead. Which leads to why they are so interested in Kevin." Kyle pinches the bridge of his nose as he skips to the last page. "Motherfucker! Here I've been scared Cora would come back and try to take him." He breathes out.

"Who were the casualties?" Kevin asks as he flips pages.

"Really just one that counts, Kev." Klein says softly.

"Their daughter, Rose. She was killed in a car accident aimed at taking her father out. You received her kidney." I inform them watching the horrified realization spread across Kevin's face.