Mr. Forrester: An Alpha Billionaire Romance (13 page)

"I don't think it's just that," Dwayne said. "The problems started before you arrived, and that crew hasn't been near the other accidents." Dwayne explained the other incidents that Gerald had brought to his attention, a fire in one of the hotel kitchens and a water leak in one of the rooms. While there was no footage of the water leak, the fire was definitely set, but the workers were totally different.

"All right, let my teams get to work," Steve said. "In the meantime, I will bring in a full security team. Since they seem to be trying to cause damage rather than direct threats, this seems to be a matter of disrupting the event, and damaging your hotel and your reputation. Peter, I would like to talk with you to find out more. Maybe something you forgot can help."

"As the lawyer of this whole thing, I insist on being in the meeting as well," Elizabeth spoke up. "To protect Peter's legal options."

Steve looked like he wanted to say something, but shut his mouth quickly. "You're right. Okay, you and of course Mr. and Mrs. Forrester can be there too if you want. But the less interruptions the better so that we can work efficiently."

Tina, who had been excluded from most of the conversation, spoke up.

"Well then, that leaves me. Mr. Harden, if you wouldn't mind pointing me in the direction of your staff, so I can start to coordinate with them. It's what I do best, after all."

O
n the playground
, Kelly was oblivious to the problems going on in the security office. Instead, she was enjoying playing with Liz, who had stolen her heart almost as effectively as Peter. They were bouncing a ball back and forth, giggling as Liz tried to throw the ball to dubious results, when she saw Peter coming towards them.

"Hey!" Kelly waved, her arm dropping as she saw Peter's facial expression and the way he walked. Behind him was Erica and Elizabeth. "What's going on?"

"Well, we're not sure, but my father may be involved," Peter replied, sitting down on a bench nearby in the sand pit. He stared off into the sky, his eyes filled with concern. "At least one of the accidents was caused by what I think is one of his men."

Kelly paled, her skin going ashy gray at the thought. She remembered Tokyo, and the terror she’d felt there. Standing up, she sat down next to Peter, taking his hands.

"Are you all right?" she asked quietly. Looking at Erica, who had taken up Kelly's place of playing ball, she raised her voice. "Shouldn't we cancel the event then?"

"Dwayne and Steve don't think so," Elizabeth replied. "There's something more going on, and they both feel like if we back out now, whoever is behind all of this is just going to take their shot later on. At least here, on the Key at the Aura, there can be some control of our environment. If they decided to take their chance later in Miami, the possibility of damage is much higher."

"Yeah but..." Kelly started, before Peter cut her off.

"He won't stop, Kelly," Peter said, the faintest hint of his original Russian accent coming into his voice. It only ever came out when Peter was very stressed or scared, and Kelly's worry grew in hearing it. "And he won't let it alone with just me, either. If it was that, I'd leave today, just to protect you and everyone else. But after Tokyo, he's going to be coming after everyone here. Dwayne insulted him, hurt him. My father is not the sort of man for forgiveness in that area. But, Mr. Harden is a professional, and he is bringing in the finest team. They will keep us safe."

"Yeah, but for how long? What happens if we stop Ivan this time? What is preventing him from trying it again?"

"Steve is making some calls to the mainland, having his people at Delta get in touch with their government connections. We hope this might be enough to get people to move on Ivan Zhubukov." Elizabeth's fist was bunched in her lap, her eyes fiery with intent.

"You're the lawyer, Elizabeth," Peter remarked. "Yet you sound like you're willing to break a few laws on this matter."

"Your father and I have something in common," Elizabeth replied with a chagrined smile. "When it comes to family, laws are no barrier."

T
hat night
, Elizabeth used the computer connection in the security office, a hard line that was much faster than the normal hotel WiFi to use her own connections. She had made connections when she was an executive in the Forrester Hotel empire, and more as a lawyer, and was using them now. There was something tickling at the back of her mind, something in the work orders or some of the other the paperwork, and she wanted to lay her concerns to rest. She didn't even want to bring Dwayne in on it yet, the implications were too monstrous.

Elizabeth was startled when the door to the security office opened and Steve entered, carrying his own laptop.

"Oh, Ms. Forrester, sorry," he said, setting his laptop down. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"You're not disturbing me at all," Elizabeth said, clicking to send her final e-mail and shutting the lid on her computer. "Please, come in."

Steve sat down, taking one of the CAT cables and connecting it to his laptop. He opened it up, and sent a few mails himself before looking over.

"Ms. Forrester, I know I'm being forward, but would you like to get some dinner with me? I could use a little break. My team is on the job, and I trust them. There isn't much more I can do tonight."

Elizabeth looked Steve over, liking what she saw. He had been professional all day, but not a stuffed shirt, a quiet calm competence that attracted her. "I think that would be nice. But please, call me Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth, I believe the restaurant is still open," Steve said, standing up, "and from what your brother tells me, they have a nice pork chop. I hope you're not vegetarian?"

"Hardly," Elizabeth replied, taking his offered arm. "Although I do try to watch my weight. Working around all these models and fit people like my brother, I do have to watch my figure."

Steve looked at her out of the corners of his eyes, his mouth twitching in humor. "You look in great shape. You look as pretty as any of the models that have been around today."

Elizabeth felt herself blush, then laughed. "All of the models are men, you goofball!" she said, realization washing over her. Steve chuckled, and led her to the restaurant. There were almost two dozen people, with the first members of EW designs filtering in to take up their rooms. Still, the restaurant was less than a third full. Also, the restaurant currently ran more like a diner, with orders made at the door, and the chefs bringing them to the order up line for pickup. The head chef had declared that the pre-show days would give his crew a chance to stretch their legs, and give the younger and less experienced chefs a chance to shine. So it was casual but still elegant, a unique mix that made for easy dinner.

"So, what has you living in Miami?" Steve asked. "Your brother is in the news pretty frequently, but not much about you. I've seen your name a few times in the business pages, but nothing else."

"Divorce," Elizabeth replied, matter-of-factly. Steve looked around uncomfortably, and she laughed. "Don't worry, Steve. It doesn't hurt any more. It was a loveless marriage for years, and I'm happier now than I have been in years. Although paying him alimony is a pain in the ass."

"You pay him alimony?" Steve said, surprised. "That's rare in divorce cases."

"Well, I was an executive of Forrester Hotels for years, and my stock options and such made for quite a bit of marriage estate to be divided up. Since I initially sold all of my shares to Dwayne to give him safe control of his hotels, that meant a lot of money to be divvied up. He walked away with a rather comfortable nest egg."

"You don't seem too upset," Steve said, slicing his boneless chop into small bites. "That seems tough."

"Moving around family," Elizabeth said, "and really finding out who I am has been the best reward to mitigate the drawbacks. I've made good friends, and really stood up on my own. And I've been able to watch my brother and my friends find love."

"What about yourself?" Steve asked, his meaning clear. "You're a smart, attractive woman. Why not see if there is still something out there for you?"

Elizabeth shrugged, and chewed on a spear of asparagus. "What about you, Steve? You seem to be quite the catch."

She was pleased to see Steve actually begin to blush, and lower his eyes to find a duck fat confit potato.

"Well, I've never lived the sort of life that is right for settling down," he said. "The SEALs and the Secret Service don't give much time for a relationship. Not to mention I was in harm's way a lot of the time. That's no way to have a relationship, when you know your spouse can’t be the most important thing in your life. Then when I moved to the private sector, I spent the first three years just trying to establish Delta, and only really had a chance over the past year to even begin considering my dating life. To be honest, I've found myself as inept as I was back in high school. And I was no BMOC back then either."

"You weren't that bad at asking me for dinner," Elizabeth said with a smile. "In fact, you seemed like a natural.”

Steve looked at her flabbergasted for a moment, then a soft smile spread across his face. "Really? I guess the initial surprise and focus on work got me past my nervousness."

The dinner conversation flowed easily from there. Elizabeth found herself more and more attracted to Steve, edging closer to him as they shared dessert. Wiping her lips with her napkin, she looked over at him. As the two finished, they went out to to the beach for a walk.

The stars were bright, with wispy bits of cloud drifting across the blackness to give contrast. The sand was still warm from the daytime sun, and they walked along the high tide line, shoes left by the back deck of the hotel for later retrieval. For Elizabeth, it felt like she was twenty years younger, before she had gotten married, on a romantic evening with a handsome man.

The waves lapping against the shore distracted her, and she missed what Steve was trying to say. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said, this is a wonderful walk," Steve repeated, barely visible in the starlight. "And this is the best beach I've been on since.... well, I'm not supposed to officially say."

"SEAL or Secret Service?" Elizabeth asked softly, feeling herself drifting towards him. "The President have a special little beach somewhere stashed away from all the rest of us?"

Steve laughed, his arms seemingly to naturally pull her into an embrace. "SEAL, although we had some good times there too. Not all of it was dangerous."

What followed seemed so natural. Elizabeth was a tall woman, and while Steve wasn't short either, their lips were naturally close, joining together smoothly. Elizabeth hadn't kissed a man in a long time, and it awoke long dormant desires in her body, filling her with a warmth that she had thought would be gone forever. She could feel the firm muscles and supple curves of his shoulders and back as they kissed, and she groaned when his hand slipped down to cup her hip and buttock tenderly.

Their lips parted, and Steve smiled. "Sorry. I haven't been that forward on a date ever. I usually don't even kiss until date two."

Elizabeth chuckled, and kissed him quickly again. "Neither do I. But I think I can make an exception in this case."

Their bodies parted and they walked on, holding hands as they made their way back to the hotel's deck. Putting on their shoes, Elizabeth wondered if she should invite Steve to her room, or if he would do the same. They had just met, but she felt a magnetic pull to him that was hard to resist. She had searched all her life for a strong man who was still a gentleman, and she was sure she had one here. Walking into the lobby towards the elevator, she kept her fingers interlaced with his, and at the elevator, got off on his floor. Walking with him towards the door of his room, she relaxed, letting whatever was happening so naturally to happen.

T
he next morning at breakfast
, Elizabeth could see the question in Dwayne's eyes as she sat down with him and Erica for waffles and sausage.

"Did you have a good night?"

Elizabeth felt energetic and alive. Steve had brought her to so many orgasms she had lost count, the final time taking her doggy style on the bed until she tore her pillowcase with her clutching. Taking a sip of her orange juice, she looked at her younger brother levelly.

"Dwayne Forrester, considering how you met your wife, and considering I'm your older sister, I don't think you're allowed to use that tone of voice with me."

Dwayne's jaw dropped, speechless until Erica reached over to lift his jaw back into place with her fingers.

"It's not polite to eat with your mouth open, my love," she said, winking at Elizabeth. "Good job, Elizabeth. I thought I was the only one who could knock him speechless."

"Big sister privilege," Elizabeth replied. "So on a more professional note, Steve expects his team to be at the hotel by nine this morning. I've got some feelers out on tracking down what could be behind this, and Steve's got his law enforcement connections working as well. We're going to be as safe as possible."

Dwayne nodded. "I know. When we woke up this morning, there was a member of his team standing guard outside our suite. Remind Steve that I would have appreciated a call about that, before receiving a heart attack at six in the morning."

After finishing breakfast, Dwayne watched as Erica and Elizabeth went off to their work. Erica still wanted to do coordination and preparation for the show, and Elizabeth had legal connections to work with. Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Dwayne rose and left the restaurant, finding Steve in the security office. "Good morning."

"Oh, Mr. Forrester, good morning," Steve said, setting his tablet PC down. Dwayne had noticed that Steve worked with a lot of technology, and wondered if it was better for coordination than the more traditional phone call and eyes on method he used for management.

"I think we're well past the Mr. Forrester stage, Steve," Dwayne said, causing Steve to stammer. "Save it. My sister's a grown woman, and as long as it doesn't interfere with your work, I'm not going to say anything about it. Besides, this family seems to have a trend towards quick relationships. You stop the threat against my hotel and my family, and you might get to hear the story."

"
O
kay
.... Dwayne," Steve said, picking up his tablet again. "My team should be here within the hour, another dozen men, half of whom have direct Secret Service experience. I've had my office going through what personnel files you could give me yesterday, but since a lot of your crews are third party hires, its spotty at best. Our best bet is to secure the site itself, and let my offsite teams work with the authorities in order to shut down the threat at the source. Don't worry, the best private security in America is working this situation."

Dwayne nodded. "I can only hope so, Steve. We've got not only a bunch of models, but some very special friends of mine coming in today. Now, what can we do to make things safer around here?"

T
hree days later
, Dwayne felt like things were going well. The incidents of sabotage had stopped, although the workers involved seemed to have slipped away. Peter's guess of the workers being Russian Mafia was correct. Analysis of the video taken eventually revealed still facial shots that Delta had been able to match up to known Russian Mafia associates with direct ties to the Zhubukov family. Steve was confident that, even if they could not directly get Ivan Zhubukov, the police could cripple his American network. The police in Newark were especially grateful, as the Zhubukov family had been making lots of trouble for them recently.

Dwayne was sitting by the pool at one of the few glass topped tables left on the deck, watching while the setup crews finished the last of their lighting arrangements for the next day's final walkthrough. Tina was on stage with Peter, checking and calling adjustments to a few of the spotlights, Peter standing in as the model. It was interesting for Dwayne to watch. Normally, Peter was very expressive, and walked with a casual grace that spoke to his athletic prowess.

On the catwalk though, he became a different being all together. Dwayne thought it started in the eyes, which he somehow both simultaneously tightened and opened wider, creating a sort of "innocent bad boy" look that Erica told him was popular amongst fashion photographers. From there, everything else seemed to flow and tighten, as his face became set in a narrower, more streamlined look, and his body took on what could only be described as a flowing marionette. At any one instant, Dwayne was sure Peter was assuming some sort of pose that a photographer could use, but they all blended together, becoming actual movement instead of a herky-jerky parody. Dwayne realized how much of a skill it was for Peter to move so expertly, and was glad Erica decided to have him in the show as well.

Tina, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of the fashion model. Petite and a sparkplug, she barked orders to the lighting crew, her critical eye making minute adjustments. Dwayne couldn't tell the individual effect of any of Tina's orders, but the total impact of her adjustments was very positive. Almost all light off the stage was eliminated, and as Peter walked he didn't look washed out or harshly lit, but in a natural light that best showed the clothes he was wearing. While today he wore just a simple t-shirt and jeans, Dwayne knew tomorrow he would make Erica's designs look as amazing as they did in the magazine layouts.

"He's quite talented, isn't he?" Erica asked Dwayne, taking the chair next to him. She had Liz in her arms, who was watching the whole proceedings fascinated. She had gone with her mother to other fashion shows before, starting as young as a few months old, but this was the first time Liz had been able to watch so much of the detailed preparation. Erica bounced Liz on her lap, smiling. "Would you like to go up there and walk too, Liz?"

"Yaaah!" Liz yelled, smiling and clapping her hands. Erica set her down, and the little girl scampered as fast as she could towards the stage, climbing the short stairs intently. Tina saw her approach, and temporarily abandoned her role as taskmaster in order to help the Liz onto the stage. Peter took her hand, and together the two of them walked the runway, Liz posing at the end by clapping her hands and bouncing up and down in her Oshkosh jeans and Hello Kitty t-shirt.

"I don't think I ever used that pose," Erica said with a chuckle, clapping and waving to her daughter. Dwayne also waved and clapped, watching her turn and walk back with Peter. "How are you feeling about the next two days?"

"Nervous," Dwayne said honestly, "but overall okay. Steve's men are as professional as we could ever hope for, and he and Elizabeth are already getting at Zhubukov. The media folks will be arriving tomorrow, but Steve's men will be assisting the hotel staff on making sure that's as secure as possible, and Gerald has the Aura's crew running well. Also, Julian and Krystal arrived this morning, I'm hoping to talk with Julian and just catch up with him this evening. Krystal I've heard is already down in the kitchen swapping ideas with the staff I have here, and will be working an hour on the line tonight, supposedly to keep her skills sharp, whatever that means. I'm actually in a position to kick back and more or less relax, watch things run on their own for a while. How about the show?"

Erica smiled and pointed towards Tina and Peter, who had switched places, Peter pretending to be a photographer for the two women as they walked the runway. "Tina and Peter have things so well in hand, I could turn the whole thing over to them. With no new designs, Tina's got the image down perfectly, and Peter's coordination of the models is top notch. I think I may have a new show team that will take a lot of stress off my hands going forward."

"That's good, because I was thinking that," Dwayne began, before Gerald approached, interrupting them.

"I'm sorry Mr. Forrester, but we have a problem," Gerald began, sweating nervously.

"What is it, Gerald? Calm down, I haven't heard any explosions."

"Sir.... your mother is at the reception desk."

Dwayne exchanged glances with Erica, who just shook her head. "You deal with her. I'd prefer not to have any more violence around here if necessary."

Dwayne nodded and followed Gerald towards the front of the hotel. Two of Steve's security men were blocking the view, but he could hear his mother long before he came to the front of the house.

"I don't care who you say you work for, you two twits, I’m still a major shareholder in this hotel chain, and if you do not let me onto....."

"What do you want, Mother?" Dwayne said, interrupting the tirade. The two security men looked at him and he nodded tiredly. They went back to their positions in the lobby. "You know you could have at least given me a call."

"So that your wife can hang up on me? I think not, son. Besides, am I not entitled as the largest minority shareholder to witness the grand opening of one of my investments?" Candace declared, looking around the lobby. "It's not in the normal Forrester taste, but I can see the appeal to a certain demographic."

"I notice you haven't asked about your granddaughter," Dwayne deadpanned, causing Candace to turn and look at him.

"Dwayne, the last time I spoke to you, you made it perfectly clear that you do not want me involved in Liz's life. While I disagree with your feelings, I have done a good job of respecting them. But I’m a widow now, I'm alone. My daughter has left me, my son has left me, and now all I have is a small office and an empty house. Money isn't the most important thing in life, Dwayne. It's taken me a long time to learn that, but it's true."

Dwayne crossed his arms, and looked at his mother levelly. "You may stay. There is a normal room available, the suites are booked. I will not ask my senior staff or Erica's senior staff to vacate a room for you."

"I understand. I only came with a bag for overnight, anyway," Candace replied, indicating a small wheeled suitcase. "I doubt I will have such a welcome from Erica."

"Your doubts are most likely correct," Dwayne said. "Listen Mother, I am allowing you to stay, and don't tell me about your shareholder status. I don't really care about that, and if you act up at all, I will have the security staff escort you off the Key. Other than that, I suggest you keep out of the way, and if Erica is feeling up to it, she’ll talk to you after the show. And do not insist on spending time with Liz."

"What about Elizabeth? Do you think she will speak with me?"

"I don't know. I will find her and let her that you're here. Have you got your cell phone on you?"

"Yes," Candace said, patting her handbag. "You still have my number?"

"No," Dwayne replied honestly, only part of him regretting the pain that flickered across her face. "I've replaced my cell phone recently. But I’m sure Elizabeth still has it. She'll call you."

Candace nodded in acceptance, and Dwayne called Gerald over. "Have one of the spare regular rooms made up for my mother," he instructed. "And inform Steve Harden... check that. I'll talk to Steve myself, and have him assign a security member for her."

Gerald nodded, reaching for the phone on the front desk. Dwayne turned to Candace again. "Mother, I hope that what you say is the truth. If so, I’m glad you're here. But I’ve got to go, there are things I have to take care of."

"I understand," Candace said. She reached her arms out for a hug, which Dwayne permitted awkwardly, before separating himself. “I’ll call Elizabeth after getting settled in my room."

Turning and leaving his mother behind, Dwayne made his way back to the poolside area. Erica was still seated at the table, watching Tina and Peter, the latter carrying Liz on his shoulders, playing horsey with the girl.

"So your Mother is staying?” Erica asked, keeping her voice level.

Dwayne sat down, nodding his head. "She's taking a regular room overnight, says she will leave after the event tomorrow. I know she said some disgusting, cruel things to you before we married, but she says she wants to make amends, at least have peace in the family. She's going to talk with Elizabeth after she gets settled in. Which reminds me, I should warn her."

Dwayne pulled out his cell phone, dialing Elizabeth's number.

"Yeah Elizabeth, it's me. Mother's at the hotel, and she says she's going to give you a call after she gets settled in her room. Just wanted to warn you. Thanks."

Hanging up, Dwayne looked over at Erica. "I've got her on a short leash. It'll be fine."

"We'll see about that." Erica saw a muscular man, shorter than Dwayne but with just as arresting of features come walking up. He looked uncomfortable in the full length sleeves and high collared shirt he was wearing to cover the numerous tattoos that covered his upper body from his wrists all the way to his waist. "Looks like you have your visitor."

Erica got up and gave her husband a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to go play with Liz. You two have a good chat." She walked away, patting Julian on his muscular shoulder. "Damn Julian, you're looking huge. You doing okay up there in New England?"

"Of course. It's good to see you, Erica. Congratulations, and thanks for having me and Krystal down here. By the way, I hope it's okay, but we brought Kristopher with us as well."

Erica smiled. "That's great. He's what, two now?"

"Turned a few months ago. I was thinking he and Liz could play some on the playground, and let him experience some sunshine. It could do him some good, he's been cooped up in the Kennebunkport house too much under cloudy weather, and it's a nice little family chance to get away."

"I agree. When you see Krystal, tell her I'd love to talk and let the kids play together. It's been too long, and I miss the last time I got a chance to enjoy her desserts."

"I will. Thanks, Erica." Julian watched her go, then turned to Dwayne. "You're a lucky man, boss."

"Cut the boss crap, Julian, have a seat." Dwayne felt relaxed to see his old friend and current protégé up close again. "How was the trip down?"