“What did Sam do while you spanked the regulars?”
“Sam tended bar,” Jack explained. Abby had turned over, and he walked down to the end of the bench and took one of her pretty little feet in his hands. He kissed the arch and started to work it over with his strong thumbs. He was satisfied by the happy purr that came out of his sweet sex kitten. “We worked there until we were ready to buy the ranch.”
Abby’s eyes narrowed curiously again. “You made enough money at The Club to buy this spread?”
She didn’t sound like she believed it, and it wasn’t true. Jack decided to lay all his cards on the table. She would find out sooner or later. Sam had a big mouth and no ability to keep it shut. “No. I got that money the old-fashioned way.”
“You stole it?” Abby’s eyes were wide.
“I blackmailed my politician father for it,” Jack corrected, switching feet. “Over the years, I became close to my boss at The Club. Julian was a bit older than me, and he had so much more experience that he became a bit of a mentor to me. Julian believes in doing deep background checks on all of his employees and clients. He considers it essential to covering his ass. When he checked into my background, he found out some things I didn’t even know about my past. I had always assumed my father was just some guy my mom hooked up with who fled the scene. My mom was sweet, and she loved me, but she wasn’t smart when it came to men. She was working as an assistant to a politician when she became pregnant with me. Shortly after, she left the job, and she didn’t work again. Julian found it odd that she managed to raise me with no visible means of support.”
“She had an affair with that politician, and he paid her hush money,” Abby surmised. ”I’ve read enough tabloids to know how that story goes, Jack.”
“Yes,” Jack confirmed. “He took care of her financially until she died, and then it was easy to let me go into foster care. She was alone. No one would have known or cared.”
“Bastard.” Abby looked ferocious.
“After Julian confirmed I was, indeed, his biological son, we cooked up a plan. I went to him and explained the situation and offered my complete silence for five million dollars,” Jack stated. “Abby, you should know my father is Senator Allen Cameron, but I’ve signed a bunch of documents claiming it isn’t true.”
“Holy shit, Jack! He’s talking about running for the presidency,” Abby said.
Jack nodded. “Yes. So you can imagine how having a love child who worked at an underground sex club could have put a wrench into his aspirations. He was more than happy to pay me off and get me out of his house. Funny thing is, now the bastard’s people call me trying to get me to contribute to his campaign.” He put her foot down and held his hand out to pull her to him. “So, you’re marrying a bastard son who used to work in a profession most people would consider prostitution. You still all right with marrying me?”
She hugged him close to her. “I am going to be so proud to be your wife. I love you. I love Sam.” Her smile was radiant. “Though I still don’t see a ring on my finger.”
Jack chuckled and held her close. “I will have to do something about that first thing in the morning. I wouldn’t want your finger to be ringless.”
She bit at her bottom lip. Jack was beginning to see it as a nervous habit. He could always tell when she was worried. “I was kidding about the ring, Jack. We can just get a band. They don’t cost very much. And you have to take the Benz back. I can make do with a cheaper car. I’m not a princess, Jack.”
“You’re my princess.” He’d thought, maybe, she was under a few mistaken impressions, but this confirmed it. It just made him love her more.
“Well, I can be an economical princess,” she stated firmly. “I will not have you hurting the business to dazzle me. I’m dazzled enough. I love you. I want to help out. I realize that every bit of that five million went into building your ranch. It’ll be years before it really starts to pay off, and I’ll help. I can get a job. Nurses make good money.”
“Whoa.” He pushed her hair back, luxuriating in the soft feel. “I’ll take care of you. First, the ranch pays quite nicely. Second, seven years ago we found out that the ranch is built on top of roughly half a billion dollars’ worth of natural gas.”
Abby’s mouth dropped open. “You’re filthy rich, aren’t you?”
“I am intensely dirty, baby,” Jack acknowledged. “I signed half of everything over to Sam. When you marry me, he intends to make you his beneficiary and so do I. If anything happens to us, you’ll be well-taken care of. I’m not worried about a pre-nup because you should understand, Abby, that we’re not divorcing.”
Suddenly, there were tears in her eyes. “They can’t hurt you, can they?”
“No.” He kissed her mouth. He would never get enough of this woman. “They can’t hurt me or Sam, and they can’t hurt you, Abby. I can’t promise that they’ll all be kind, but no one can force you out again. I can promise you that Sam and I will be by your side.”
Abby clutched him to her body.
The door opened. Sam’s eyes were sleepy as he watched them. “Did she just figure out we’re rich and nobody’s going to mess with us?” Sam asked, scratching his naked belly as he yawned.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, she did,” Jack replied with an indulgent smile. “I thought you were asleep.”
He still appeared to be. “Can’t sleep alone. Cold. Lonely. Come to bed.” He shuffled back through the bathroom, and Jack picked her up to follow. Abby yawned, too, cuddling against him.
“Jack?” Abby sounded sleepy and happy.
“Yes, princess?”
“I did tell you I loved you before I found out you were a multi-millionaire, right?”
Jack stifled his laugh. “Yes, you did. I believe you told a struggling rancher you loved him and would work hard to make his business successful.”
Abby nuzzled his neck. “I rock.”
He did nothing to contain his amusement this time. “You do, love, you certainly do.”
Later, after he’d settled her into bed and Sam was curled against her, Jack rose and got dressed. It wasn’t late. There was still time for what he needed to do. He took the Benz, and it wasn’t even nine o’clock when he rang the doorbell at the stately home that had housed the Echols family for years. A weary butler opened the door.
“Tell Mrs. Echols that Jack Barnes is here,” he said. “We have something to discuss.”
Chapter Fourteen
Ruby Echols watched as the door closed. Adam was walking out the door once more. It was all happening again. At least she’d had her husband by her side that night twenty years before. She hadn’t been forced to face ensuing tragedy alone. This time she didn’t know where Hal had gotten off to. He should have been here. He could have made Adam listen to reason.
“Ma’am?” The maid’s voice cut through Ruby’s dark thoughts. “I have your medication.”
Ruby looked up, and her eyes focused on the young woman in her black uniform. It was too tight. She would have to say something to the housekeeper about the help she was hiring. They weren’t up to the Echols’s standards. The brunette maid held a glass of water and a familiar bottle of pills. Which one was this? There were so many pills these days.
“I don’t want it,” Ruby snapped. “Get my son.”
The young woman looked slightly confused, but Ruby had long since decided that all young people were confused. The public education system was in shambles. They weren’t even allowed to spank the children anymore. “Ma’am, Walter moved out a couple of days ago. He left a number to call.”
“How can Walter move out?” Ruby asked irritably. “He’s just fourteen years old.” The idiot just looked at her. Ruby huffed. Good help was impossible to find these days. She pointed out the window where she could hear a door closing and the engine to a car purr to life. “Go and stop Adam from leaving. He just walked out the door. Tell him his brother is missing. That should stop him.”