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?”

But rather

on a tank that had seen better days. The thin material left little

she’d on weren’t helping. Her legs seemed to go on

“Fuck,” he breathed, “I’m so sorry for bothering you.”

head to the side, causing her honey blonde curls to wrap around one of

apologize for my mother, she probably thought you were the landlord.”

“What can I

A wave of protectiveness washed through him. He couldn’t let her stay here, not for another night,

have found that I will need your services right away,” he stumbled over the words. “I tried

emergency at her shop, and I

Elliot nodded, “Can I convince you to

and covered her breasts, noticing how

a few minutes

Elliot surprised himself with the request. But he didn’t want to lose sight of her.

had no idea how they really lived.

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

“All right, Mr. Brand. But just a warning, we weren’t expecting

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

was mortified, “I truly

and placed a long

“I’m glad that you’ve had someone to protect

away from his, “Yes, well,

hit them both. Mandy tried to ignore the way her mother was yelling

However, the bedroom that she led

the boxes that you can use?”

and walked out of the room and returned with three beat-up liquor boxes. Elliot

just have a seat on my bed.”

He looked huge

one of the drawers of the dresser, Elliot stopped her.

items in a box