Billionaire’s Secret Baby

7:28 PM Elliot Brand: A driver will arrive at nine to assist you with anything you would like to bring to the new apartment.

8:02 PM Elliot Brand: Ms. Johnson, I would like to confirm that you will be available at nine in the morning tomorrow.

8:47 PM Elliot Brand: Is something amiss? Have you decided not to take the job? Might I remind you, Ms. Johnson, that you signed paperwork this afternoon and are already a Brand Employee?

9:13 PM Elliot Brand: If I cannot reach you, I will come and speak to you face to face.

Elliot was fuming by the time he pulled into the rundown neighborhood that could only be described as the slums. Sirens wailed in the night air, far louder than any crickets had hoped to achieve.

The home looked to be held together with chicken wire and clapboard. Crumbling brick littered the front porch along with hundreds of cigarette butts.

Elliot knocked firmly on the door. There was a rustle behind the curtains and then the lights went off.

Did she think she could hide from him? He knocked louder, “We both know that you’re in there, Ms. Johnson.”

The door cracked open and the unmistakable sound of the gun being cocked ripped through his ears.

“Amanda?” Elliot’s hands tightened into fists. How dare she pull a gun on him?

The door opened a little further and he saw a woman in her fifties with a light between her yellowed teeth wearing a dirty housecoat.

“What you want with Mandy? You the fucker that put that baby there?”

Elliot could only stare.

The woman raised the gun to be level with his chest, “Better start talking fancy man.”

“What’s going on out there?” A man’s voice bellowed from somewhere inside. “Can’t a man get some sleep, damn it all to hell!”

“I’m her new employer,” Elliot stumbled over the words just as he heard a rustling behind the woman. He looked up and saw Mandy.

Her eyes were wide with disbelief, “Mr. Brand? What are you doing here?”

mother and unlatched the door. But rather than showing him inside, she

better days. The thin material left little to the imagination and he could

the tiny shorts she’d on weren’t helping. Her legs seemed to go on forever and even her baby bump was

so sorry for

causing her honey blonde curls to wrap around one of

to be sorry, Mr. Brand. I apologize for my mother, she probably thought

filled Mandy’s cheeks. “What can I do for you?”

Elliot couldn’t tear his eyes away from this beautiful woman that was apologizing for things that she’d no control over. A wave of protectiveness washed through

need your services right away,” he stumbled over the words. “I tried to text you.”

Mandy frowned, “My phone is dead, I’m sorry! My sister had an emergency at her shop, and I

Elliot nodded, “Can I convince

her breasts,

a few minutes to

with the request. But he didn’t

Mandy hedged knowing that this man had no idea how

carry the boxes,” Elliot added with a

she was holding, “All right, Mr. Brand. But just a

dark eyebrow, “I think I realized that the moment the revolver was pointed through the crack

truly am very sorry.”

and placed a long finger against her bow lips.

that you’ve had someone to protect

from his, “Yes, well, something like that. Please come in.”

both. Mandy tried to ignore the way her

smelled of rot and was damp. However, the bedroom that she led him too was clean even if terribly

Elliot’s voice was gruff, “Where are the boxes

the room and returned with three beat-up liquor boxes. Elliot smiled at her, “What can I

blushed, “I don’t have much. Please just have a seat on my

chair to offer him. He looked huge sitting on the edge of her tiny twin bed.

she opened one of the drawers of the dresser,

in a box