The Resilient One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance (18 page)

“Good morning, Beckham. It’s Gary, Alyssa’s father.”

Beck froze. His hand gripped his phone tightly. How had he gotten this number? Linli’s paranoia seemed to be warranted, for once. “What do
you
want?”

“I want you to take care of my little girl.” He gave a nasty chuckle. “And since you wouldn’t agree to using my title companies, I’ll settle for five million dollars.”

Beck laughed shortly. “Just stay away from Alyssa and I won’t have to come find you.”

“Look under the door, Beckham.”

Beck strode to the door and picked up a glossy magazine that had been slid under. The front page had a picture of him and Alyssa strolling arm in arm down Ka’anapali Beach. “What is this?” he growled.

“Read the article, Beckham. Then you’ll realize what I’m capable of and there’s much more where that came from if you don’t think you can afford my fee for staying away. I’d also like your reassurance that my Alyssa is going to be very, very happy. I’m sure you don’t want your sisters or nieces and nephews exposed. I’ll be in touch with wire transfer instructions. If I don’t see the money by tomorrow at this time, another story about Alyssa selling herself to my friends and you murdering your little brother will go live. This one is pretty complimentary in comparison.”

The line went dead before Beckham could tell Alyssa’s dad exactly what he thought about his threats. He’d happily take care of Alyssa, but where did the guy get off trying to blackmail him? He ripped the magazine open.

Alyssa felt her world light up as Beck strode to the table where she was enjoying her breakfast of papaya and cottage cheese in the bright morning sun. The light started to dim when she saw the raw hurt and anger in his eyes.

“Beck?” She stood. “Wh-what happened?”

He slammed a magazine onto the table, glowering at her. “You happened.”

“What?”

The front cover was a picture of the two of them walking on the beach with his arm wrapped around her. “Billionaire ex-NHL star Beckham Taylor falls in love with the photographer who stalked him.”

“But you can’t think I…”

“Read the article and then try to tell me what I think.” He shook his head. “And to think I trusted you. You can’t blackmail me, Alyssa. You’re worse than the women who I
knew
were just after my money. What a scheme, eh?” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Ellie, your dad, the druggie. How long did it take you to plan it all?”

“What? I didn’t—” Her dad? What did her dad have to do with any of this?

“It just kills me that you and Granny Ellie could do it.” His blue eyes lit up with fire. “She’s not really dying, is she? That was all part of your scheme too!”

“Granny, dying?” Alyssa sank into the chair, terror ripping through her. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be.

“Don’t act so innocent, Alyssa, I’m done believing the act.”

Anger seared into her as pieces started snapping into place. Granny was really dying. Beck knew and he hadn’t even told her. Who cared about some article Maryn had included them in? “Granny told you she was dying and you didn’t
tell
me?” She leapt to her feet and hurried around the table, coming up into his face.

“Well, it doesn’t seem to matter now as it was all an act,” Beck snarled.

“Granny would never lie to you!” Alyssa shrieked. Her entire body trembled. She didn’t know which fear to tackle first, losing Granny or losing Beck, so she held onto her anger.

“But you would?” Beck’s voice lowered and quivered slightly.

“No!” She backed away as she realized she hadn’t told him the entire truth. Maryn and the pictures came to mind. What did this article say?

Beck jerked the magazine into his hand, opened it to a page filled with pictures of the two of them and slapped it back down on the table. “I can’t believe anything you say anymore, Alyssa. Read that and try to lie to me again.” He whirled and stormed across the courtyard.

Alyssa started reading, unable to comprehend what Maryn had done to her, to him. Tears leaked out of her eyes and rolled down her face. Almost a dozen pictures of her and Beck together. Someone must’ve been stalking them, but they claimed Alyssa had been stalking him for years, starting with taking photographs of him and his sister after the funeral. The article claimed Alyssa had a fatalistic kind of crush on him and was trying to fulfill the Billionaire Bride Pact she’d made as a twelve-year old by snaring Beck. They claimed she needed money because she’d rejected her, oh so concerned parents. What a crock. Some truth was there, but of course they’d twisted it and made her look like a black widow spider stalking her prey. Maryn was listed as the writer.

Alyssa groaned and buried her head on the table. “Oh, Maryn.”

Then the thought of Granny dying slammed into her gut. It couldn’t be true. She’d lost Beck. She couldn’t survive without Granny.

Luckily it was his brother-in-law, Peter, who picked Beck up at the airport. Beck had chartered the fastest jet he could find and was home within hours of his fight with Alyssa. He fought his way through the paparazzi, ignoring questions about his relationship with Alyssa. Someone called her a gold-digging tramp and it was all Beck could do to not punch the reporter. How could he honestly want to break down and run back to Maui every time he heard her name?

Peter swung open the door of his Maserati. “Let’s go.”

Beck slid in gratefully. “Thanks for coming. I couldn’t handle one of my sisters right now.” He loved them, but being the younger brother of overprotective women got old, quick.

“I know, man. I know. Don’t worry about Mr. Armsworth printing any more articles. We’ve already bought the majority shares of the magazine, informed the editors what will happen if they print any more articles about you, and we would’ve fired the writer, a Maryn Howe, but she’d already quit. We’ll devalue the stocks and make sure Mr. Armsworth loses a lot of money before we run him out then we’ll go after Miss Armsworth.”

“Not Miss Armsworth.”

“What? She played you like a saxophone.”

Beck swallowed and looked out the window.

“No. You fell for her. Hard.”

Beck could only nod.

“I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” He thought of the way Alyssa had looked as he’d sneaked around the back entrance of the bed and breakfast and seen her with her head down in the magazine, tears wetting the pages. She’d sent him multiple texts apologizing, professing her innocence, claiming that a friend of hers and the magazine were to blame and that she could explain about the pictures of him and his sister. Could any of it be true? His stomach clenched. No. He’d been fooled by beautiful women before. But he’d never fallen in love with any of them.

Alyssa thought she’d cried all her tears when Granny banged on the door to her room, hugged her, and demanded she tell her what happened, but the water works just seemed to keep coming. She finally worked up the courage to ask, “Are you dying?”

Granny inhaled sharply. “Beck let that one slip, eh?”

“Oh, Granny.” Alyssa crumpled into her arms and sobbed. She mopped at her face with a cloth napkin Granny handed her. “The cancer again?”

“Yes, love.” Granny squeezed her. “It’s all through me this time.”

“Can’t you do radiation and chemo? Please?” Her voice squeaked but she didn’t care.

“No. I’m done. It’s my time to go. I’m just worried about you.”

Alyssa hung her head and studied the pattern in the bedspread. She wanted to reassure Granny she’d be fine, but she was going to be so alone. Maryn had betrayed her. Beck thought she’d betrayed him. Her dad had obviously had some part in this mess and she’d never have a relationship with him or her mom. All she had were her friends from girls’ camp years ago, but most of them lived across the country and she wasn’t as close to them emotionally as she wished she could be. Granny couldn’t leave her. She couldn’t.

“That’s it! I’m done with this bull schmack.” Granny slammed her palm on the side table. “We are going after him and he is going to believe you didn’t do this. You need Beck. He promised me he’d take care of you.”

“Oh, Granny.” Alyssa shook her head. “He’ll never forgive me. I told you I took pictures of him years ago. He’s going to think that article is right and I have been stalking him for years and just waiting for this opportunity to snare him. I still don’t understand why he mentioned my dad. Is he somehow involved?” She had the magazine open on her bed. If nothing else, she had these pictures of the two of them. She traced a finger across Beck’s face.

Granny grabbed her hand and tilted Alyssa’s chin up. “Beck is too good of a man to not give you a chance to explain. If your dad’s involved, I’ll kick his butt myself.”

“I’ve tried to explain to Beck. I’ve sent texts, left voice messages. He’s,” she gulped, wiped at her face, and continued, “he’s not responding.”

“You have to do it face to face.” She stood. “Pack your crap. We’re flying out of here tonight.” Granny hurried from the room, slamming the door behind her.

Alyssa stood and retrieved her suitcases from the closet, sighing. There was no use fighting Granny, but she didn’t see how Beck would ever forgive her. Him being angry at her was awful enough, but the ache his absence created threatened to ruin her.

Beck’s oldest sister, Anna, stormed into his office and slapped several photographs onto his desk. Beck stared at the pictures of him and his sister leaving his parents’ funeral. He knew the paparazzi had exploited his situation after their deaths, but he’d tried to ignore the pictures. Especially this series that All About Truth magazine had used to claim the family was being ripped apart because the will named him as the executor of the estate. He studied the first one for a minute and knew by the way the grief had been captured on both of their faces, this was an expert photographer. He didn’t even have to ask who. It all tied in perfectly with what the recent magazine article about he and Alyssa had claimed.

“Looks like Miss Armsworth
has
been stalking you for some time.”

Beck shook his head. “Are you serious?” His voice cracked and he hated himself for it. Alyssa wasn’t the person he’d fallen in love with. It was almost like burying a loved one. His stomach had hurt less when he’d taken a jab on the ice. He glanced out the wall of windows at the view of Grand Park. Usually the glimpse of green and the wading pool was soothing, but not today.