The Billionaire's Heir: Billionaire Obsession (Tycoon Billionaires Book 4) (7 page)

A half-hour later, Samira strode out of the house with her head held high, feeling her confidence slowly trickling back – which was interesting because she hadn’t even realized that her confidence had been so undermined since coming here. But now she understood – as she marched in the sunshine toward Lola’s cottage – that she’d merely been
existing
on this ranch. Waiting for something… but she hadn’t known what.

And now she knew. No, it wasn’t actually Ivan Quinlan who she’d been waiting for – although his presence – his love – certainly helped. But it was
herself
she’d been waiting for. She realized now that she’d lost herself after Ivan had ‘died’. A little piece of her had died with him.

But now she could feel her strength and power rushing back. And she wasn’t going to take anymore shit from Langdon. She wanted her passport back, she wanted to leave, and she wanted to make a family with Ivan and Quin far away from here.

Elation washed through her as she felt herself becoming stronger and lighter.

She knocked on Lola’s door and greeted her with a hug, then she strode over to see her precious little one. He was already awake and sucking his toes on his play-mat, and he was – as always – delighted to see her. Samira’s adoration for him strengthened every single day. He was her true love, brightening up her life with his adorable smile.

Lola started to sweep the floor as Samira picked up Quin and danced with him to the mariachi music on the radio – making him laugh.

Lola swayed as she danced with the broom. “You are like a sunbeam, Mrs. Langdon.”

Samira chuckled. “Thank you, Lola… We love Lola, don’t we, Quin?” She kissed her baby on the cheek. “You’re going to get the best start in life, my little monkey. Don’t tell anyone, but Mommy’s going to take you away from here.”

Lola stopped sweeping. “Away, Mrs. Langdon?”

Samira smiled sadly. She knew how much Lola loved them both. “Sorry. It’s what I need to do.”

Lola beamed a smile. “With your sexy cowboy?”

Samira burst into laughter. “Hopefully. You won’t say anything, will you?”

Lola resumed sweeping the floor. “I know nothing. But if you need a nanny, you ask me. Promise?”

“I promise.”

Samira held Quin close and enjoyed the feel of his little heart beating against hers. This guy was her entire world, and all the bad things she’d done recently, she’d only done because she’d thought it’d been the best for him.

But now his daddy was in town and she was ready to leave... Speaking of which, she needed to go see her
other
true love…

She kissed her little boy goodbye, knowing he was in safe hands with Lola, then she made her way in the sunshine toward Ivan’s cottage.

He answered the door looking gorgeous dressed in a pair of jeans with no shirt on. Samira tried not to gawp too much, but he’d shaved his beard, making him look delicious and clean – as well as masculine and rugged. 

There was an energized sparkle in his eyes today, as if
he’d
been invigorated by their reunion too. “Good morning, goddess.”

“Morning,” she said, feeling like a goofy teenager in his presence. She wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him, but they needed to be careful – just in case the private investigator or even Langdon was lurking.

“Coming in?” he asked.

She stepped into the stuffy cabin and closed the door, then he pulled her close and kissed her hard.

“I missed you,” he said, between kisses. “I need to be with you all the time. Is Quin okay?”

“Yeah, I just saw him. He’s so beautiful, Ivan. He looks more like you each day.”

“I need to get you both out of here.”

She rested her head on his strong shoulder. “I spoke to Langdon at breakfast and he admitted he
is
paying that guy to follow me. He gave me back my driver’s license, but he insists that my passport has been sent away to the immigration department.”

“Well, Clara’s friend can confirm that for us soon.” Ivan stepped over to the creaky wooden table and grabbed a shirt to throw over his shoulders. “But there’s only one way to find out what’s going on here, and that’s to go straight to the source.”

“I did, Ivan, but he–”

“No, not Langdon – he’s obviously not planning on telling you anything. So we’ll just have to go to the other source, won’t we?”

“The private investigator?”

“Exactly.” He reached out and caressed her cheek. “How about we take a little trip somewhere secluded and find out what his fucking game is.”

Samira’s heart flitted like an excited racehorse. Suddenly, she felt ready to take on the world and win.

Her former rebellious self surged as she strode with Ivan across the ranch, feeling as if they were outlaws on the run. Her body buzzed with exhilaration and they halted at his truck, which was looking shinier than usual. Samira wondered whether he’d been working on it this morning in the hazy sunshine. It seemed to gleam with the attention he’d bestowed upon it. She knew how it felt.

They climbed in and Ivan kissed her hard, before throwing the truck into gear and cruising down the long driveway toward the ranch gates. Usually whenever Samira saw the private investigator waiting for her she felt guilty or angry. But today Ivan was playing a game of cat and mouse. And Samira felt as powerful as a tigress.

She glanced in the wing mirror. “He’s following.”

“Great. Let’s see if how far he’s willing to go.”

They hurtled down the road, pretending they were trying to shake him off, but actually they were leading him into their trap. The rushing landscape enhanced Samira’s excitement as it whizzed past the window, and she saw the scenery change from lush green to barren and scrubby as they left civilization. The huge blue sky wrapped all around them, and the midday sun glistened on the black road as they drove through the stark landscape. There were hardly any buildings around now, and as the time sped on the highway narrowed and became a dusty dirt-track, tapering at the sides so there was just enough space for two cars to stand side-by-side. Ivan continued driving, wondering how far he’d need to go, and he was relieved when finally the road ahead became a dead-end, blocked off by a disused crumbling concrete building.

It was desolate, deserted, and dingy.

Ivan eased the truck to a halt and yanked up the parking brake, leaving the engine running.

“What are you doing?” Samira asked. “He’s behind us, and we’re facing a dead-end.”

“Trust me, sweetheart.” He revved the engine. “Hold on to something, okay.”

He glanced in the rear-view mirror and watched as the private investigator’s car halted cautiously twenty yards away. Ivan felt like a gunslinger about to take part in a shootout. His fingers twitched as he reached down and gripped the parking brake, easing it off with a click, then he carefully set the truck into reverse and – keeping his gaze fixed on the car behind – he suddenly came to life and jammed his foot down on the gas, propelling them backward.

Samira let out a shriek and grabbed the handrail as Ivan steered the truck straight past the private investigator’s BMW, scattering dust between them. He yanked the steering wheel downwards – which caused the truck to skid sideways – then he positioned them directly behind the private investigator’s car – blocking him with nowhere to go.

Without turning off the engine, Ivan threw open his door and strode over to the BMW, then he reached in and pulled out the struggling guy, pinning him against the hot metal.

Samira jogged over to join them. “Ivan, don’t hurt him.”

The private investigator wriggled in Ivan’s grip. “Let me go!”

Ivan pulled back his fist, threatening to punch him. “I’m going to ask you again, and this time I want the goddamn truth. Who are you and why are you following her?”

The private investigator pushed Ivan hard, making him stumble slightly. This guy was stronger than he looked.

Ivan grabbed him again and growled in his face. “I asked you a fucking question – answer me, asshole!”

The private investigator smirked. He had an annoying way of finding things amusing when he should be quivering. “Listen,
Ivan
, this has nothing to do with me – I mean her no harm. Mr. Langdon hired me to report back on what his wife’s doing – he wants me to keep an eye on her.”

“We know that,” Ivan said, shaking him. “But why.”

“I honestly don’t know.” He held Ivan’s gaze. “But I’ve been doing some investigating for myself and I’ve discovered the truth about you, Ivan Quinlan.”

Ivan was ready for this. “Oh yeah, planning to blackmail me are you?”

“No. I’d never do that to my own brother.”

Ivan froze. The hiss of a rattlesnake in the scrubby bushes pounded in his head, but he ignored it, focusing on nothing but this bombshell. He released his grip. “Brother? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I’m your long-lost brother Jake… Jacob – Clara’s twin. Your parents…
our
parents had me adopted.”

He’d said it so casually. Surely there was no way… Ivan tightened his grip on Jake’s shirt again. “Oh really, my long-lost brother, huh? You must think I’m fucking stupid.”

“No I don’t, Ivan. In fact, I know you’re pretty fucking smart.” He reached up and wrapped his fingers around Ivan’s hands. “Now if you’d care to let go of my shirt, I’d be happy to explain.”

Ivan faltered. His heart thrashed with confusion… Now that he was taking the time to look properly, he could see that Jake
did
bear a striking resemblance to Dylan. And his grin was just like Joseph’s. And his eyes were definitely like Adam’s… But surely this was impossible. “This is bullshit. I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing, but I…”

Ivan shook his head, feeling a loss of power that he wasn’t accustomed to. He stood tall and clenched his fists.

Jake nodded. “Yeah, you’re thinking about Clara’s twin brother that died, right? The one your mom was heartbroken over? Well, that’s me.”

“You’re lying. How did you get this information about my family?”

“Because I am your family.”

Samira stared at Jake quizzically. “Can you prove what you’re saying?”

Jake shrugged. “You’re welcome to see my birth records, ma’am. One good thing about being an ex-cop is that I–”

“You’re an ex-cop?” Ivan asked.

“Hey, don’t say it like I’m scum. It was what my dad did so I just followed in his footsteps.”

“Your dad?” Samira asked.

“My adoptive dad.”

The world shifted around Ivan like a surreal fairground carousel. He considered himself a good judge of character – he wasn’t someone who was easily duped. And this guy seemed sincere. But… did long-lost brothers just show up like this?

“Bit of a coincidence isn’t it? Us both being in Texas – on the same ranch?”

He shrugged. “I guess fate has a sick sense of humor. So… you want to know what happened?”

Ivan turned away from Jake and ran his fingers through his hair. Samira could see he was shaken. Ivan
had
mentioned Clara’s dead twin to her – it had been a huge upheaval to the family, and even as a child Ivan had found himself comforting his mom. It would be amazing if this really
was
a long-lost brother. But what if this guy was just using their family’s background information to… to what?

Ivan stepped over to Samira and pulled her close. He was tense and distracted, but even in the heat and confusion she felt proud to know he wanted to extract comfort from her. She gazed at Jake. He’d clearly had a tough life – he was more rugged and rougher around the edges than the other brothers.

But he was definitely a Quinlan…

“I’ll show you my birth records,” Jake said. “I’ve got all the proof you need. Ivan… this is really true.”

Ivan spun to face him. “This is fucking insane. Why the fuck would my mom and dad separate Clara from her twin? They’d never do that. They’re good people.”

Jake held up his hands. “Okay, here’s what happened. Your dad – my biological father – was involved with a drugs cartel just after he left the army. I assume you know about that, right?”

Ivan shrugged. “I’m not saying anything.
You
tell
me
what happened.”

“Sure, okay. Well, he was gunrunning for them – but he got caught and arrested. Arrested by
my
dad. Some of the money’s still stashed somewhere – I’ve been trying to find it ever since my mom told me the full story just before she died. Does your dad still know where the money is?”

Ivan restrained himself from punching Jake. “I don’t give a shit about money –
I’m
asking the questions here… Is your adoptive dad still alive?”

“Nah, he passed away ten years ago. My parents were older when they adopted me. All they’d ever wanted was a child, but they were too old to adopt… that’s why my dad offered
our
biological parents a deal…”