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?”

rather than

little to the imagination and he could make out

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

so sorry for bothering

to wrap

be sorry, Mr. Brand. I apologize for my

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

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 him. He couldn’t let

services right away,” he stumbled over the words. “I tried to

shop, and I stayed late to help. I just got home a few minutes ago and plugged it in.”

I convince

and looked down at herself. She squeaked and covered her

a few minutes to

come in?” Elliot surprised himself with the request. But he

hedged knowing that this man had no idea how they really lived.

will need to carry the boxes,” Elliot added with a smile.

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

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

mortified, “I truly am very

up a hand and placed a

“Don’t be,” he whispered, “I’m glad that you’ve had someone to protect

away from his, “Yes, well, something like

door and a wave of second-hand smoke hit them both. Mandy tried to ignore the way

basement smelled of rot and was damp. However, the bedroom that she led him too was

voice was gruff, “Where are the boxes

and returned with three beat-up liquor boxes. Elliot smiled at her,

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

looked huge sitting on the edge of her tiny twin bed.

As she opened one of the drawers of

in a box