Indecent Proposal (Book 5 of the Forbidden Series)

17

They spent longer in Paris than expected and as promised when they returned home to the States Ronny spoke with the admittance board for York Preparatory School. By the end of the week, all the children were in attendance. Ronny returned to work insisting that Vi focus on the children and not worry about working. He made more than enough to provide them with everything they could ever want or need.

Vi had protested at first but eventually caved to his will. They had lived in bliss for a month when Ronny came home late one night to find Vi and the twins arguing in the kitchen. “I will not.” Vi snapped.

“But Mom-” Briar whined.

Ronny paused staying hidden behind the wall listening to the fight unfold. “No, that man has already done so much for us. I will not ask him. You should be grateful.” She said to her children.

“Oh, please mom, it would make us cool,” Davis said.

“You are not having a party that size. You will settle for cake and dinner like every year.” Vi said.

“But we only turn sixteen once. Why can’t we have a big party? It’s not like we can’t afford it.” Briar snapped.

“I will not have you speaking like that. He has been generous enough. You should have a little gratitude for everything he has given us not ask for more.” Her objections made Ronny smile. It warmed his heart to know she was not with him for his money. He certainly could never say that about any other woman in his past. Vi was one in a million. He wouldn’t trade her for anything.

So, the kids wanted a sweet sixteen party. Well then, he would have to give them one. Ronny came around the corner pretending like he had not overheard their conversation. “What are you all still doing up?” He asked walking over to kiss Vi’s cheek.

“They were just going to bed.” She said giving her children a stern look. Furious they both headed for the hall to leave them alone.

“Oh, by the way, while you’re up, I will need you to put together a guest list by the end of the week, so I can have the invitations made up.” The twins looked at one another with a question in their eyes. “For your sweet sixteen.” He clarified. “I’m going to need to know who to let into the VIP.”

“What?” Davis said wondering if he heard Ronny right.

“Your birthday party. I’m going to close down the VIP to the public that night for you and your friends. Of course, there will be no booze, but I’m sure the live band and the environment will make up for it.” The VIP was the hottest spot in the state, and anyone who was anyone was dying to get in. For a teenager to book it for a birthday party was unheard of. If they were not popular right now, they were about to be. “Just keep the list small,” he smiled, “under two hundred.”

Briar threw her arms around Ronny and kissed him then the twins took off for their beds. Vi smiled at him. “You’re going to close the VIP?”

“It’s just one night.” He said drawing her close.

“That’s a lot of money to lose out on.”

“It will be worth it. They will remember it forever and boost them to the top of the pecking order in the high school hierarchy.” Ronny kissed Vi and pulled her against himself feeling his arousal grow. “What do you say we go rock the bed a little?” He purred against her ear when his cell phone rang. Ronny groaned. The work never ended some nights. “Just a minute sweet.” He said taking the call. “Hello.”

“Ronny!” A panicked voice came over the line. He recognized it immediately. It was Dane Thompson, David’s only son.

“Dane, what’s wrong?”

“I’m in jail.”

“What did you do?”

“I need your help.”

“Why me?”

“I can’t let mom find out. It would kill her.”

Kat had been in a bad place since David’s death and depending on what he had been arrested for he wasn’t entirely sure she could withstand another heartache. “Where are you?” Ronny asked.

“The thirteenth precinct, come fast and bring a criminal lawyer.”

Ronny hung up and turned to face Vi. “Sweetheart, I have to go out again. I’m not sure when I will be back.” He said kissing her face. “If I don’t see you before tomorrow night, make sure the kids make up that guest list.” He said heading for the door.

“But you just got in?” Vi complained following him to the door.

“I know, I wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t important.” He assured her. He had no children of his own, but Ronny had watched Dane grown from an infant into a man. He thought of the boy as his own, as he did of all the children that grew up in his presence. If Dane were really in trouble, he would be there to bail him out. It would have been what David wanted.

It only took him twenty minutes to reach the precinct. He had called his attorney on the way over rousing him from his bed. As he walked into the precinct, he found Nadia, Dane’s new assistant and his girlfriend as well. She was shaken, and her neck was bruised. She had been assaulted Ronny was sure.

She was a pretty young thing with dark brown hair and a shapely figure. She was a skittish little chit, Ronny wasn’t sure why but in the short time that she had been in Dane’s service she had come out of her shell. She came to her feet when she saw Ronny. Her hands were shaking as she came over to him. “Nadia, what happened?” He asked.

“I killed him.” She said her voice shaky.

Ronny took her by the arm and dragged Nadia aside to speak in private. “Keep your voice down.” He warned glancing over his shoulder to be sure no one could hear them. “What happened?”

“I killed him.” She repeated. “I shot him.”

“Shot who?”

“Dane’s friend Clyde Donavan.”

Ronny knew Clyde he was one of Dane’s prep school friends. “Why did you shoot him?”

“He attacked me. He tried to rape me. Dane walked in on us. They were fighting, and I shot him.” She said trying not to cry. “Someone called the police. Dane lied he said he shot Clyde. Now they have arrested him. They have him in a cell. You have to help us.”

Ronny thought about it. Dane was taking the bullet for the woman he loved, but if it was self-defence or defence of others, he could likely get off with a slap on the wrist. “I need to speak with him. Sit down and do not speak to anyone do you understand?” Nadia nodded and took a seat.

Ronny went to the desk and insisted on speaking with Dane. He was refused at first but it was not long before Mr. Lenard arrived and the two of them were taken to an interrogation room. They waited a few minutes until Dane was brought up to them. Dane went right to Ronny the moment the door was closed, and they were left alone.

“Oh god Ronny, I-”

“Shut up boy.” Ronny barked glancing at the two-way mirror. He knew the cops were on the other side they could be listening. Though Dane was with counsel Ronny’s presence nullified the confidential clause. They were free to listen in knowing Dane had no expectation of privacy with a third person in the room. Ronny took Dane into a corner and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I spoke with Nadia; do you know what you’re getting in to?”

“Yes. I can’t let her go to jail. Ronny, you have to help me.”

“You could go to jail are you prepared to do that for this woman?”

“I would die for her. I love her.” At that moment Ronny could see a lot of David in the boy. Like his son, David had retaliated for the woman he loved. It had been a dark night for all involved. A night that had never been spoken about again.

“Sit down and shut up.” Dane took a seat at the steel table facing the mirror while Ronny whispered in Mr. Lenard’s ear-catching the man up but only on what he needed to know he left Nadia’s actions out of it to a degree. When he was sure the man knew what was expected of him he sat down beside Dane and Mr. Lenard rapped on the mirror inviting the detectives in.

Three men came into the room. Two detectives and a representative of the DA. They shut the door, but only the DA took a seat. “Is your client ready to talk?” The DA asked.

“No, we are ready to leave.” Mr. Lenard said very matter of fact. “You have no case.”

“I have witnesses that heard the gunshots.” The DA said.

“But no one that saw him pull the trigger.”

“The gun was in his hand when the police arrived.”

“Again no one saw him shoot the victim.”

“He has GSR on his hands.”

“Of course, he does you just said he was holding the gun after it was fired that doesn’t mean he fired it.”

“He was found standing over the body.”

“There was a dead man in his home where else would he be standing?”

“He was in possession of an illegal weapon.”

“How can you be sure it was his? Maybe the victim brought it with him after all he was there with the intention of committing felony rape. It would make sense that he brought a gun with him to intimidate the poor woman he intended to assault. Even if my client pulled the trigger, and I’m speaking hypothetically, he was merely defending the woman residing in his home. What you have is a vile, malicious rapist as a victim and a sympathetic, not to mention famous pinnacle of New York society as your perp. I will put that poor woman on the stand, and she will sing his praises. Once the jury hears of the Vic’s priors for s****l assault and other violent crimes against women they will praise my client as a hero. Not only will he get off but the entire NYPD and the DA will have egg on their face. All I need is one woman on that jury, one father with a daughter, one husband… just one.” Mr. Lenard said gesturing for Ronny and Dane to stand up.

Mr. Lenard reached into his briefcase and removed a standard document he carried around when defending the wealthy and the famous. He filled in Dane’s name and passed it to the police officer. “This is a gag order. If the press catches wind of this grotesque miscarriage of justice, your entire department will be sued, and each of you will lose your jobs and your pensions.”

With that, they walked out of the interrogation room and collected Nadia. Ronny watched the young couple embrace thankful to be in each other’s arms. Ronny thanked Mr. Lenard and apologized for taking him from his bed at this ungodly hour. Ronny took the kids to the hospital Dane insisted Nadia receive a full medical examination to be sure she wasn’t seriously hurt from the violent assault she had suffered hours prior.

“Thank you, Ronny,” Dane said as they pulled up in front of the hospital.

“Let us never speak of it again.” He warned Dane. It was the easiest way to make a scandal go away.

Nadia was the first to get out, but Dane paused. He looked back at Ronny. “My father, I need to know. The man that attacked them when mom was pregnant with Layla, he was found dead the next night.” It was always suspected that David had retaliated and his friends had helped to cover it up. Though it could never be proven and they never spoke of it, but rumours were hard to hide even from the children. “Was my father responsible for it?”

Ronny took a breath and looked Dane dead in the eyes. “Your father loved your mother.” That was all he would stay. To this day he would protect his friend even if it were only his memory.

Dane did not press the subject he got out, and Ronny watched them enter the ER hand in hand. He thought about his friend. David had loved Kat more than his own life. He had been willing to die for her, to kill for her. His son was no different. Ronny had never loved a woman like that.

Sure, he loved Kat, Chase, and Layla but that was different they were like his family. A sister, a daughter, a granddaughter, but never had he loved a lover the way David loved Kat, the way Dane loved Nadia. He always treated the women in his life well. Made them feel like the only one, but he never felt it. He never gave himself over completely. Money was easy to give; his heart was another story altogether.

The sun was coming up as he came in the door. Ronny dragged his weary body up to bed where Vi was slumbering peacefully. He quietly removed his jacket and tie and crawled into bed beside her. Ronny lay there next to her just watching her sleep. She was so beautiful more so than any of the other woman in his life. It wasn’t her hair or her body; it wasn’t her eyes or her smile. He had dated supermodels and beauty queens. Women that were equal if not more physically beautiful than Vi was. Certainly, women that were younger with less baggage, but none were as lovely to Ronny as she was.

Was this love? Was this the way it was meant to feel? Ronny had never felt more out of sorts, more confused than he did at this moment. What was he doing with this woman? Giving her free rein of his home, taking in her children, it went against everything he had done in his life. He lived his life in a certain way and always had. Looking out for number one, doing what pleased and benefited him first and foremost. However, things were different with Vi. For the first time in his life, he had more to consider than just his desire and needs. He had to think of her, and not just her but her children.

Children, months ago the very idea would have sent up red flags and had him looking elsewhere, but since David’s death, Ronny saw his world in a different light. When his time came what would he leave behind? Royalties and a thriving nightclub. Once upon a time that would have been enough. Only now he was re-evaluating all he believed to be important.

One question stood out in his mind… who would miss him? Who would grieve for him? Who would be by his side when he took his last breath? Who would hold his hand on his deathbed? No one, that was who. Sure, his friends would miss him but once he was gone so was his legacy and his line. No one would carry on for him. No one would carry on his name. His bloodline died with him.

Although blood was not always the most important thing. Mike had taught him that. He had no blood connection to his daughter Kat, but he had raised her as his own and in every sense of the word she was his child. He loved her, and she loved him. He would defend her as fiercely as he would his blood-related son. Family wasn’t whose blood ran through whose veins it was about the bond between parent and child.

A new question came to mind… how did one develop such a bond? Mike had thirty-five years with Kat. Could he develop such a bond with Vi’s children? Could he turn this arrangement into a real family? More to the point did he want to? He had never wanted a family; he had plenty of time to build one but never did. Never met anyone that made him want to settle down. He wasn’t sure what had changed. Was it being with Vi that made the difference or was it David’s death that had shocked his system into wanting something more?

The morning sun washed over the room, and Ronny had yet to sleep. Vi stirred and as she woke she smiled up at him. “When did you get back?”

“Not long ago.” He smiled back at her.

“Where did you go?”

“To help a dear friend’s son.”

“Why didn’t he help his son?”

Ronny felt the loss all over again. “He is dead.”

Vi placed her hand against the side of his face. “You’re a good man, that’s why I adore you.” She said placing a tender kiss to his lips. “I have to get the kids ready for school. Why don’t you get some sleep?” Sleep sounded wonderful. He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes letting Morpheus claim him.