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2024-01-30 15:37:19LUMEN
I MADE IT.The last hour had been pushing it, my nerves stretched to the breaking point, my head pounding. Between the kids asking where Evanne was and Eoin’s visit, my missing student had been on my mind, but so had Soleil since my check-in with Brie had resulted in learning absolutely nothing new.What that meant was that, when I was thinking about one of them, I was feeling guilty about not thinking about the other. And when my attention was on my students, I felt like I should be worrying about one or the other…Needless to say, by the time I stepped out into yet another dreary day, my head felt like it was going to explode. All I wanted to do was go home, take a long hot bath, and curl up in bed with a book.But there were two missing girls, and I had to find at least one of them. I wouldn’t be able to sleep or relax or do anything but worry and feel sick until they were both safe and sound. Alec probably had
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The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law Eighty one
LUMENI NEEDED TO GET A FUCKING CAR!“For the third time, I don’t know what happened!” I practically shouted at the phone. I’d set it on the floor after dialing 911, and now it was on speaker, so I didn’t really need to yell, but the operator was pissing me off.Fortunately, she was good enough at her job that she wasn’t taking offense. She was clearly used to desperate, terrified people.“Is she still conscious?”“Soleil? Soleil, it’s Lumen.” I wanted to shake her or touch her face or do something that would give me a better idea of how aware she was, but she looked so horrible that I didn’t think it was a good idea to do any of that. What if she had internal bleeding, and I made it worse? “I think her eyes are open, but she’s not responding to anything I say. Her face is so swollen, I can’t tell for sure.”“Okay. Keep talking to her. Give her something to focus on.”The sound of sirens sent a rush of re
The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law Eighty Two
ALEC“THE NUMBER YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH IS NO LONGER A WORKINGnumber. Please hang up and try the call again.”“Fuck!!” I threw my phone at the couch and watched it bounce off the cushion and onto the carpet. If I’d had worse aim, buying a new mobile would’ve been my next action.Keli had disconnected her phone.She was one of those people who always needed her phone, which meant that this was more serious than I’d hoped. If she’d simply taken off, panicked, overreacted, that was one thing. Canceling her phone was something else entirely. She had crossed from something she could explain away to making a deliberate choice to prevent me from even talking to my daughter.How could I have missed this? Why hadn’t I seen the desperation Keli must have felt to do something this drastic? Had there been no signs? Or had I just been too enamored with Lumen to see what was happening right in front of me?My phone rang, and I snatched it up, unable to stop myself from hoping
The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law Eight three
LUMENI WAS IN A SERIOUSLY SHITTY MOOD, AND THE WAY THAT THINGS WEREgoing, it didn’t look like it would be getting better any time soon.Sleeping in the hospital chair had been nearly impossible, despite how thoroughly exhausted I’d been. And still was. Besides the fact that the chair was one of the most uncomfortable things I’d ever sat on, our surroundings weren’t exactly quiet. I probably could’ve dealt with both of those things, however, if it hadn’t been for the nurses coming in and out every hour or so to check on Soleil.Then, around dawn, Soleil had woken up, agitated and thrashing around. I’d helped calm her down, assuring her that she was safe, and she wasn’t alone. She’d managed to say something about how “she’d never be safe,” but before I could get any additional information from her, she’d passed out.While waiting for Soleil to wake up again, I’d finally gotten ahold of Brie. She’d had to take Lorelai – a special needs foster child with both mental and physical issues –
The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law Eight four
ALECEOIN’S NAME POPPED UP ON MY PHONE SCREEN, AND I TURNED AWAYfrom my computer as I answered. “Hello.”“I have something,” Eoin said instead of a greeting. “I’m at a car rental place in Bellevue, and the clerk recognized Keli. She was in here Wednesday afternoon with Evanne.”Shit. He’d done it. He’d gotten us a lead.He kept going. “She used her real license to rent it, but that was before she canceled her phone number, so she might not be using it anymore.”“But she’s in Bellevue? Or at least coming back to the rental place there?”“Unfortunately, she chose an open-ended rental agreement where she can turn in the car at a different location and at a time she chooses.”I scowled. “They must have some way of keeping track of the car.”“They have GPS, but we won’t get that information without a court order.” Eoin’s frustration bled into his words. “They also won’t tell me if the car has been turned in yet.”I closed my eyes and tried to rein in my disappointment. Eoin
The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law Eighty five
LUMENI’D NEVER BEEN THIS TIRED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.Seriously.I’d almost fallen asleep taking the elevator down to the hospital lobby after Brie arrived to take Soleil home. If the ride had been any longer, I might’ve given someone quite a shock, thinking I’d had a heart attack or something.Soleil had barely even looked at me when I left, and she hadn’t spoken a word to Brie either. If neither of us could get through to her, the man – or men – who’d hurt her would get away with it. There was always a possibility of physical evidence, especially since she’d allowed a rape kit, but if she refused to follow through on pressing charges, it wouldn’t matter.The thing was, I didn’t think she was refusing to talk because she wanted to be di cult. My gut said that she wasn’t being sullen or rebellious or just being a teenager. She was scared. Not just of what had happened to her, but who had done it.But until s
The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law Eighty six
ALECNO WARRANT. NO HELP. NOTHING BUT MORE I’M SORRY, WE CAN’Texcuses. Nothing but reasons why this wasn’t considered anything more serious than a custody issue when we all knew that if the situation had been reversed and I had been the one to take our daughter while Keli’d had custody, a warrant would have already been out for my arrest on charges of kidnapping.I’d gone straight from the police station to meet Percival Scarpa, where he’d agreed with my scathing opinion regarding how the issue was being handled. He’d also agreed that maybe it was time to play to the press.When I asked him, however, about how I should go about doing just that, he’d asked if I had a public relations person. He had been able to give me legal advice but recommended that I speak to a PR person regarding what, exactly, should be said.After leaving his o ce, I’d reached out to the firm that handled all of the public relations for
The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law Eighty seven
LUMEN“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.”When he’d kissed me, a thousand things had gone through my head at the same time, not the least of which was how good it felt, how right. But following quick on that thought had been the taste of alcohol, and it had been that more than anything else that had cleared my head.It became clear rather quickly after that the real reason he’d come. Not to apologize or ask about Soleil. He hadn’t even really come to tell me about Evanne. He’d come because he was drunk and horny, and that had somehow made him think I’d fall into his arms and then into bed.“Shite. Sorry. I’m such a fuck up.”His voice broke on the last word, and my anger gave way to sympathy. Our fight hadn’t meant that I’d thought Evanne’s situation wasn’t stressful or problematic. I was worried about her too and hoped that Keli would come to her senses and see that what she was doing wasn’t good for her daughter.
The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law Eighty eight
LUMENWELL, THAT HAD BEEN A BIG FUCKING MISTAKE. LITERALLY AS WELLas figuratively. I should have known better.I had known better.I just hadn’t wanted to listen. I’d wanted him.We’d fallen asleep after, and I’d woken up first, just after dawn. He’d still been sleeping, and considering the alcohol he’d had on top of the stress of the past couple days and our late-night workout, I figured he’d be out for a while yet. That, at least, had given me time to shower, dress, and get some coffee going before I let my decisions from last night catch up with me.I should have just sent him home. He hadn’t driven, and he’d been coherent enough to take a cab home again. If I’d really been worried, I could’ve gone back with him, gotten him into his own bed, and then come back home. He would’ve had no problem paying for the trip.But I hadn’t done the smart thing. I’d let him stay, had taken care of him
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- The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law
183
EOINI’D JUST BEEN READY TO CALL ALINE WHEN A TEXT CAME THROUGHthat she was coming back and we needed to talk. I went back and forth between anxiety and relief while I waited for her. We couldn’t keep doing this.Our lives were linked, and we didn’t have the luxury of waiting until we had our shit figured out before deciding to start a family. The baby was on the way, and no matter what she and I disagreed about, I had no doubt that we were on the same page when it came to being the best parents we could be. To do that, we needed to work this out sooner rather than later.Since I didn’t know if Aline had her key, I unlocked the door and then spent the next fifteen minutes or so pacing from one end of the living room to the other and back again.When she came in, I wanted to just blurt out an apology and explanation, but I also didn’t want to come on too strong. How the fuck did people do this? How did they know what to say or how to say it? I didn’t know the ans
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EOINTHE MOMENT THE WORDS CAME OUT OF ALINE’S MOUTH, I COULD SEEthat she wanted to take them back. Not because she regretted accepting my proposal or didn’t want to live with me, but because blurting it out like that had been like dropping a bomb.Now, we were just waiting for it to explode. I could read it on their faces. I read it on her face too. She realized the impact of what she’d done.And then Freedom turned on me, her expression furious.“What the hell did you do?!” She pointed at me, her clear blue eyes flashing. “How dare you take advantage of her when she was upset! Out on her own for the first time and vulner–”“We’re engaged,” Aline cut her off, clearly deciding to get it all out now that things were in motion for a confrontation. “And I’m pregnant.”Freedom’s jaw dropped, and her face went white. Aline’s jaw tightened. “So, back off.”“What?”The word came out as a whisper, confirming for me that Aline had never spoken to Freedom that way before.“Eoin is m
- The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law
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EOINIF I DIDN’T QUIT SNEAKING LOOKS AT ALINE, SHE WAS GOING TO CATCHme and want to know what the hell I was doing. Then I’d be put in the very awkward position of either lying to her and her figuring it out or telling the truth and pissing her off. Neither scenario ended well for me.She’d agreed to tell my parents about our engagement and the baby, and I was going with her tomorrow to spend Christmas Day with her family. Both of those were things that I wanted, but I kept feeling like some other shoe was going to drop and ruin it. That she’d suddenly recognize the fact that she could do so much better than me and decide that, while she might want the baby, she didn’t want me along with it. Or she’d think about how pissed Freedom was going to be when she saw me and realize I wasn’t worth the headache.Death wasn’t the only thing that could take someone away.So, I kept watching her, paying close attention to every expression, to every shift in body language.I’d been worried at Marti
- The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law
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EOINTHE SCENT OF PEACHES WOKE ME UP, AND IT TOOK A MOMENT FOR MEto remember why my bed smelled like fruit. Aline. My eyes opened, my need to reassure myself that she really was here greater than me wanting to sleep a little longer. Once I saw her, I couldn’t look away.We were both on our sides, her back to my front. Her body was curled up, making her look even smaller than she was, and a surge of protectiveness went through me. I slid my hand from her hip to her stomach, wondering when I’d be able to feel the changes to her body, when the baby would start to move, how big it was right now.Was it a boy or girl? Would Aline want to know before or have it be a surprise? When would we be able to tell?I had a lot of research to do, I realized. I wanted to do this right, and that meant not leaving everything up to Aline. Some of the questions colliding together in my brain were the kind that she and I could talk about. I could find the answers for all the others myself. S
- The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law
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EOINI PUT MY PHONE DOWN ON THE COUNTER AND GOT A BEER FROM THEfridge. If I wasn’t driving anywhere tonight, I didn’t need to worry about how much I drank. If I couldn’t be with Aline, taking care of her, getting a little drunk sounded like a good idea. Not so much that I’d be hung over tomorrow, but enough to take the edge off.It was a hell of an edge. Pregnant.I was going to be a father.Maybe. Aline could decide to terminate the pregnancy, but after how her parents had struggled to have kids, I didn’t think that was going to be the route she took. If she did, I’d be there with her, but even as shell-shocked as I was right now, I was hoping she’d have the baby.My baby. Fuck.I needed to sit down, but the few chairs I had were covered with shit from my storage unit. The floor would have to do. I leaned back against my refrigerator and took a long drink.I’d never really thought about being a father. My parents never pressured any of us kids about giving them
- The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law
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EOINI DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY ALINE WOULD – AGAIN – THINK I DIDN’Twant her. I knew her family was really overprotective of her, but I couldn’t imagine that translating into any type of emotional abuse. She was a certified genius and one of the most selfless people I’d ever met. And she was gorgeous. The fact that she’d been a virgin – barely even kissed if Freedom had been right about that too – confused the shit out of me because she had to have had guys all over her.Just the thought of any other man near her made my arms tighten around her. I still had my hand in her pants, could hear her ragged breathing slow and even out…and I was jealous of men I didn’t even know, men who might not even exist.Men I didn’t want to exist.I wanted to be it for her. The only man who’d ever know what she looked like when she came.Shit.The thought should have terrified me, but it didn’t. Even though I was painfully hard, I was content to stand here, holding her, rubbing her back with my free hand.
- The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law
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ALINEEOIN’S PLACE WAS GORGEOUS. AND HUGE. NOT AT ALL WHAT I’D BEENexpecting, even after he’d told me that he’d leased a condo rather than an apartment. I’d already known that he’d come from a wealthy family, so it wasn’t the cost of a place like this that surprised me. It was more that this didn’t seem like the sort of place that a single, not-quite-thirty, former military man would live. This was more of a…family home.A beautiful one, but I was starting to feel like seeing all of it, being here with him while such a large question was looming over us, was untethering me from reality. I had experienced this strange disconnect only a few times in my life, most of them recently.“Hey.” His hands were on either side of my face, his skin hot against my cheeks. “It’s okay.”I looked up at him, and then his mouth was on mine, firm pressure without being aggressive, and the contact sent a wave of warmth washing over me, pushing away thoughts of anything else.This man could distract
- The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law
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EOINMY BROTHER, ROME, HAD OUTDONE HIMSELF WITH THIS CONDO, ANDI’d made a point of telling him that when he’d met me there before I’d gone to pick up Aline this morning. I hadn’t, however, told him about what was going on.I wanted her to meet my family. I knew that by now, but I didn’t want it to happen with a question mark over our heads. So, until we got those test results, only Alec knew that this was a possibility. No matter what happened, though, I wanted her to see my new place because, at some point, I planned for it to be our place.Some of my tension had left when Aline had told me that she was okay and that the IUD debacle hadn’t been my fault, but it’d been such a small bit that as we moved into Playa Vista, my stomach was one giant knot of nerves. Most of it was because we still didn’t know for certain whether or not she was pregnant, but there was still a part of it that had to do with how she felt about my new home. I wanted her to love it.I took her hand as we w
- The Billionaire Impotent son-in-law
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ALINEI DIDN’T KNOW IF I’D THROWN UP FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO BECAUSE Ihad morning sickness or if it’d been nerves, but either way, it hadn’t been pleasant. I’d been able to force down some crackers, and they’d helped with my upset stomach, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to completely quell my anxiety until I had the results of the blood test. Even if I was pregnant, the waiting was far worse than either answer would be.Eoin seemed to share my sentiments as he arrived nearly twenty minutes early, and apart from the drive, hadn’t been able to sit still. Even in the car, he’d been moving, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel or on his leg, flipping through radio stations, that sort of thing.The latter would have annoyed me normally, but nothing about this situation was normal. And if I were to be entirely honest, I didn’t mind the radio being on because neither of us had said more than a few words, and I preferred the background noise that prevented a total awkward silence betw
