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?”

the door. But rather than

tank that had seen better days. The thin material left little to the imagination and he could make out her

weren’t helping. Her legs seemed to go on forever and even her baby

so sorry

side, causing her honey blonde curls to wrap around one of her breasts and exposing part of her neck.

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

filled Mandy’s cheeks. “What can

this beautiful woman that was apologizing for things that she’d no control over. A wave of protectiveness washed through him. He couldn’t

will need your services right away,” he stumbled over

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

“Can I convince you to come

She squeaked and covered her breasts, noticing how see-through her pajamas were

need a few minutes to pack.”

“Can I come in?” Elliot surprised himself with the request. But

hedged knowing that this man had no idea

“I will need to carry the boxes,”

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

think I realized that the moment the revolver was

truly am very sorry.”

held up a hand and placed a long finger

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

Mandy’s eyes skirted away from his, “Yes, well,

the way

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

gruff, “Where are the boxes that you

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

just

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

she opened one of the drawers of the dresser,

these items in a