7 Degrees of Alpha (a collection of seven new BWWM, Alpha Male Romances) (34 page)

It was a Wednesday night, and Sydney was working the front desk at Haley’s House. Wednesday’s were normally a slow night, and Sydney didn’t mind taking over for Jenny, the receptionist, when she had a family emergency. Intakes were on the decline, and Sydney was relieved about that fact. She and another worker, Maggie, were the only ones working; all the other volunteers were off. Sydney was sitting at the front desk in the large waiting room going over legal documents when she heard the front door open. It was almost 11pm, so she looked up curiously to see who was coming through the door.

Sydney was surprised when she instantly recognized the slim woman with long, blonde hair, big brown eyes, and bruises covering the right side of her face. Because she didn’t want to scare her away, Sydney acted as if the blonde was any other stranger off the street.

Sydney hurried around the desk to help the woman and child as they both stumbled through the door.

“Ma’am, are you okay? Do you need medical attention?” Sydney asked concerned.

“No, no. Please just let us stay here. I do-don’t have an-anywhere to go…ple-please.” The woman pleaded as tears streamed down her face and she struggled to get out the sentence through her sobs.

Sydney rushed to her side, putting an arm around the woman’s shoulders and helping her sit on the oversized chair, as the young boy trailed behind them as silent tears poured out of his big blue eyes.

“Of course, you can stay here, but I think you need medical attention. That bruise on your face looks really bad,” Sydney replied with a grimace.

“Ms. Hamilton, I know you know wh-who I am, and you kn-know as well as I do that I ca-can’t go to the hospital with…out having a media circus around me and my son. I just can’t have that…espe…cially at a time like this,” the woman pleaded for understanding.

“I understand, Mrs. Moore,” Sydney stated.

“Ple-please call me Megan. Mrs. Moore is the last per-person I want to be right now,” Megan acknowledged as she started sobbing again.

Sydney nodded her head in understanding. Megan Moore was married to one of Dallas’ most powerful and influential entrepreneurs. Thomas Moore was a ruthless business man that was known for taking no prisoners in his dealings. So, if he was the one who did this to his wife, they were surely in for a battle royale.

Sydney took a deep breath to compose herself. Seeing the woman and the boy so broken and beaten was a terrible sight, and she needed to be strong for them.

“We have a nurse on staff. She is very discreet, and we all have confidentiality agreements. No one here will say a thing. I promise,” Sydney reassured both Megan and her young son.

“Let’s get you to the back where the rooms are and settled in while we wait on Nurse Pettis to come and check ya’ll out.” Sydney’s southern accent was always at its thickest when she was nervous or anxious.

Megan agreed and she led her son to the back, following Sydney into a vacant room.

“Thank you,” Megan said in a whisper. “We had no other place to go. Nobody would have ever believed me….
nobody
.” Megan took in a deep breath while looking at her son. She seemed to be trying to get herself together so that her son wouldn’t witness the broken woman she had become, but the tears just wouldn’t stop falling no matter what she did.

“I’m sorry that I’m such a mess…I ju-just…” Megan trailed off.

Sydney interrupted her apology. “No, Mrs- Megan, there is no reason for you to apologize,” Sydney replied sympathetically.

Megan slowly began to regain her composure. She dried her tears and took another calming breath. She then looked at her sniffling young son, and pulled him in for a tight hug.

Sydney felt like an intruder watching mother and son embrace, leaning on one another for strength. Megan looked up and gave a small smile. Sydney made a vow to herself then that she would do all that she could to help the duo.

***

A week had gone by and Sydney hadn’t made any more headway on the Moore case. She had obtained the prenuptial agreement, and it looked to be iron clad. However, this wasn’t just about Mr. Moore’s money or about him supporting his wife after the divorce; this was about custody of their only child Thomas Jr. It was stated in the pre-nup that if Megan willingly left her husband, then custody of any children went to Mr. Moore. Under normal circumstances, this case would have been cut and dry because of the abuse. But like many women, Megan had hid the abuse from her family and friends and therefore didn’t have any proof or witness that her husband had indeed beat her. Even Sydney and Nurse Pettis, who were there to see the latest bruises, hadn’t physically witnessed how Meagan had gotten them, so legally they couldn’t give a statement either. Sydney needed help with finding out as much information on Thomas Moore as she could. She needed someone with special skills, but she didn’t know anyone like that. However, she knew somebody who would; Kelly Johnson. Sydney knew that Kelly was the one person that was always in the know. She would be able to help her find the person she needed for this very specific job.

When Sydney met Kelly in college, she didn’t have many close girlfriends. Although Sydney participated in cross country track, she was a loner throughout high school. Being from an affluent family, Sydney attended all-girl private schools, and being one of the few blacks in school made an already shy Sydney even that more introverted. It wasn’t until college, when she met Kelly, her outspoken, bold, and very loud freshman roommate, that she understood what true friendship was about.

Kelly Johnson grew up not far from Sydney, but they were worlds apart. Stop Six was considered the ghetto and growing up there could be very dangerous. There were gangs, shootings, and drugs running rampant throughout the small community, and Kelly grew up right in the midst of it all. But it didn’t deter her from wanting to get out and make something out of herself. She didn’t fall into the trappings and she was one of the strongest and most successful women Sydney had ever known.

“Hey, Kelly. It’s Syd. I need your help,” Sydney said quickly when Kelly answered.

“Well, hey to you, Syd,” Kelly responded to Sydney dryly while rolling her eyes at her phone. “Don’t waste any time with formalities or anything, like ‘how are ya,’ ‘whatcha’ up to’…nothin’.”

“Sorry, Kel, but I need your help in a bad way,” Sydney said in a pleading tone. “I just have too much on my plate right now, and with this pro bono case that I’m working on, I can’t seem to make any headway. I need a private investigator that can be discreet but is the best at what he does. I need some information on someone prominent, but he can’t know that I’m looking into him…Get my drift?”

Kelly sat up straight in her desk chair, her brown eyes growing wide in concern for her friend. “It’s that damn Murray guy, isn’t it? You don’t need a PI to tell you that he’s an asshole! What you need is a brother to whoop his smug ass, and since you don’t have one, do you want me to get Chauncey and Leroy to give him a beat down free of charge?” Kelly questioned somewhat jokingly. “You know my cousins don’t mind getting their hands dirty from time to time.”

Sydney chuckled at her friend’s brashness. “No, Kel, it isn’t Brad. It’s for the case that I’m working on. I would tell you, but confidentiality and all that whoopty woo….”

Kelly nodded her head in understanding, “I completely understand, Syd, and you know I’m the last person you have to explain anything to. I have a cousin that used to date this chick named Mel. I remember that she worked for a PI, and he seemed to be the go-to guy for you uppity types. I’ll find his info and get the number to you ASAP.”

“Excuse me, but uppity types? You are an uppity type now, Ms. Kelly Johnson. You are not the same chick who grew up in Stop Six in Fort Worth. You are the CEO of one of the largest hotel chains in America, and you live in a mini mansion in Highland Park,” Sydney replied to her friend’s comment with laughter in her voice.

“Look, you know as well as I do that I will never be uppity. You can take the girl out of the hood…You know
and all that whoopty woo
…” Kelly said mockingly through laughter.

“Yeah, bestie, I know…”

“And all that whoopty woo….” both women, said laughing simultaneously.

When Marco got a call at his home, he knew that it could only be a handful of people because almost nobody knew his home number.

“Marco, we have a potential client that wants to come in early tomorrow. I
know
this is important, and you needed to know about this ASAP,” Melissa said in a rush before Marco could get a word out.

“Okay, what’s so important about this person, Mel? Why the call to my house and not my cell?” Marco questioned.

Melissa took a breath and exhaled loudly into the phone.

She remained silent for a minute too long.

“Damn, Mel, what’s with all the theatrics today? Who the hell is the client?!” Marco shouted into the phone. He had never been a patient man, and today was no different.

“Don’t scream at me, Marco Luciano Bellomi! The new client is Sydney Hamilton….You know this could get real messy, and I know how you got a little thing for Ms. Sydney; that’s all!” Melissa shouted back.

Marco exhaled; his assistant was just too damn perceptive for her own good. “Mel, I’m not going to go into why you think I have a ‘little thing’ for Sydney Hamilton, but she is no longer under surveillance by our firm,
and that’s something she won’t need to ever know
,” Marco stated the last part slowly so that Melissa could catch his meaning.

“Fine. She doesn’t need to know. But what if she already knows and that’s why she wants to meet?” Mel asked.

“It will be fine. We both know I’m the best at what I do, and nobody knows that I’m following them unless I tell them. She doesn’t know anything….I’m sure it’s about something else entirely,” Marco responded confidently.

“All right… If you say so…She asked for a 6am meeting,” Mel reluctantly replied.

“I do say so. And 6am? Damn, that’s early, but I know the schedule she keeps, so no surprise there. I’ll see you in the AM,” Marco said.

“Sure thing,” Mel responded as she disconnected the call.

Marco didn’t know why Melissa was acting so concerned about the meeting. In all of the years he had been a private investigator, not once did a person of interest know that they were under surveillance, and not once since Melissa had worked with him did she seem so worked up about a potential client. But maybe it was the fact that in all of the years of them working together, this was the first time a person of interest became a client and all within the same month. Marco also never felt such a strong connection to someone he was conducting surveillance on. Never had he desired someone he had never officially met, so bad. He would find himself fantasizing about her luscious, plump, kissable lips and how they would feel against his own. He wondered if her hair was as soft as it looked and what sound she would make when he wrapped her hair around his hand and devoured her mouth.

Shit, Mel just might be right; this thing could get messy if I’m not careful
.

***

Kelly had come through like she always did, and Sydney was on her way to a meeting with this elusive private investigator. Sydney tried to do her own research on this Marco Bellomi, but she could hardly find anything of substance. If she had to guess, he must’ve been very good at what he did because he was nearly a ghost. Any information she found led to a dead end. She couldn’t even find a picture, but with all that being said, if he was that good at not being found, then maybe he was just the right man for the job.

Sydney entered the opulent office. It wasn’t lavish in furnishings, but rich in colors that had water features throughout the space. The blend of burnt oranges, browns, yellows and reds made the office look like fall had exploded all over the space. The water fall background of the reception desk was the main attribute of the office upon entering. The receptionist was a small, mousy girl that looked to be in her early twenties. She had long, brunette hair and big, round, doe eyes that held every emotion in them. She smiled brightly at Sydney and showed her to the waiting area.

“Can I get you some coffee or water while you wait?” the receptionist asked.

“I would love some coffee. Two sugars, please,” Sydney replied with a bright smile of her own.

“Okay, great. Coming right up. Melissa should be done setting up the meeting room in a few minutes. Sorry for the wait.” The girl then smiled as she scurried away to get the coffee.

Sydney wasn’t waiting for very long when an attractive, black woman came from the back of the office. She had a bright red bob that stood out against her dark brown complexion. She had on a pencil skirt with a billowy blouse and shoes that Sydney would happily tackle her to the ground and wrestle her for.

“Hi, Ms. Hamilton. I’m Melissa. Mr. Bellomi’s executive assistant. I’m sorry we kept you waiting. The meeting room is right this way.” Melissa smiled as she extended her hand to Sydney.

Sydney stood and smiled back. The two women shook hands, and Sydney followed her to the meeting room. Upon entering the room, a large man sat at the end of the equally large conference table. He stood when he noticed the two women.

Sydney smiled,
A gentleman. I like that.

“Hello, you must be Sydney Hamilton. I’m Marco Bellomi. It’s nice meeting you,” Marco said with an outstretched hand.

Sydney had to take a deep breath and attempt to get herself together. She was there for business, but at the sight of this big, overpowering man with all this masculinity, Sydney thought she would drool all over herself and then jump the man right where he stood. His voice was a deep baritone and it was silky smooth like a warm liquid washing over her. His eyes were a bright hazel that stood out against his smooth olive skin. His hair was long, but not shaggy, and his face had a five o’clock shadow that was sexy as hell. She could tell that his arms were massive under his blue tailored suit; the muscle bulged and jumped with his every move. His crisp, white dress shirt had two buttons undone. It looked as if he were getting off work instead of just getting there. But Sydney wouldn’t complain because his massive chest looked strong under that shirt.

Marco gave a bright smile at the look on Sydney’s face. It was good to know that that asshole Murray wasn’t the only type that Sydney found attractive. Marco cleared his throat to snap Sydney out of her daze and looked down at his outstretched hand.

Sydney’s dark, mocha complexion turned a hint of red as she cleared her own throat seemingly to collect herself, and she reached for Marco’s hand. At the touch of their hands, both Sydney and Marco felt an electric current that literally shocked them. Sydney snatched her hand back from Marco’s and looked down at his hand.

She giggled awkwardly. “Sorry, I don’t mean to seem rude, but you zapped me.”

Marco’s face now held a smirk.  He felt it too; that electric current just proved that they indeed had a spark between them.  “Yeah…I felt it too.  I guess I’m just electrifying.”

Melissa cleared her throat as she entered the room. She raised an eyebrow at both Marco and Sydney as they stood gazing at each other with Sydney blushing and Marco smirking mischievously. “Uuumm, here’s your coffee, Ms. Hamilton.”

“Oh, thanks, Melissa. I appreciate it. I’m not myself without my morning cup,” Sydney rambled nervously.

“No problem. Do you guys need anything else?” Melissa questioned as she smirked at Marco.

“No, Mel, that will be all for now. Thank you,” Marco responded to his know it all assistant.

Mel smiled knowingly at the two and left the room. Marco showed Sydney to the seat closest to his, and she sat exhaling another deep breath.

“So you gave me very limited information, Ms. Hamilton. What is it that I can do for you?” Marco asked.  He tried to remain professional, but he couldn’t keep his eyes from devouring her petite curvy body.  She wore a form fitting, light blue dress that caressed her body in all the right places.  He wanted to prop her up on the conference table and slide the dress up slowly, revealing her smooth, chocolate skin.

Marco cleared his throat as Sydney began talking, trying hard to focus on what she was saying.

“I have a client who is married to a very prestigious businessman in the Dallas area. She wants out of the marriage, but she doesn’t want his money. She only wants sole custody of the couple’s only child.”  Sydney took a deep breath, trying to slow her racing heartbeat. She needed to focus on her client, not the sexy man in front of her with the smoldering, hazel eyes.

“She doesn’t want any of his money?” Marco inquired, his interest piqued.

“No, she just wants him to leave her and the child alone. She doesn’t even want child support. All she wants is to leave her husband and start over fresh,” Sydney stated fervently. 

“May I ask why she wants to leave her husband?”

“That’s what I need you for, Mr. Bellomi. I need you to find any evidence of anything that would absolve the prenuptial agreement. I don’t care if it’s infidelity, illegal gambling, or even if the bastard cheated on his taxes; as long as there is proof and we can get my client away from this man,” Sydney said with a sneer.

Marco smiled. “You can call me Marco, and yes, I will take your case, and find what you need.”

Sydney smiled in return. “Great. Then I guess that means we are a team. And you can call me Sydney…
Marco
.”

Marco liked the sound of his name coming out of Sydney’s beautiful mouth. He also liked the words “I need you” coming from that same mouth. He was in deep trouble on this one.