His Big Reveal: An Interracial BWWM Billionaire Romance (BWWM Alpha Males) (15 page)

She smiled big around a mouthful of food and slid the ring on the appropriate finger. “Since we both know that’s never gonna happen, let’s just pretend you have a romantic bone in your body and you had a big exciting proposal. ‘Kay?”

He kissed her lightly on the mouth to avoid transferring her food to his mouth. “Fine by me, I love you. But if you give me your chewed up pancakes I will have to take drastic measures.”

She swallowed and laughed hard. “You’re lucky I’d consider parting with my chewed up pancakes. But I love you so I’m willing to make sacrifices. No pancakes for you!” She pushed her chair back and straddled his lap. “I’m so glad I found you again Evan and I can’t wait to marry you.”

“Then let’s not wait too long. I’m so in love and I can’t wait to make you my wife. Nina you are my happy ever after.”

The End

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Rae was dressed like a total cliché in head to toe black but it was out of necessity rather than fashion sense, and she certainly didn’t need to look slimmer. No, her outfit was strictly professional and right now she was on the trail of billionaire embezzler Enrique Valdez and the last trace of him was here at the Downtown Belmont Hotel. Her skintight black dress, black lace top stockings and her black mile high stilettos were all so that she’d fit in as she strolled through the lobby. The good thing about luxury hotels was that no one dared question it when one of the big wigs wanted to order a hooker, escort, call girl- whatever the ladies of the night called themselves these days.

She sauntered across the marble floor of the lobby without drawing any of the wrong type of attention. Of course every male eye from the entrance to the elevator was squarely focused on her assets, which was fine as long as no one stopped her or asked where she was going. When the elevator doors closed behind her, leaving her alone, Rae sagged in relief. She was a pro but one never could tell with these fancy hotels.

It’s not at as though she could simply walk up to the desk and ask for Enrique Valdez because of course, his reservation was under Will Smith.
Original
, she scoffed. But there was also the fact that the Valdez family was mega wealthy and quite well known on the Chicago business scene, so unless she was on some highly guarded list she wouldn’t even get close enough to sniff his expensive cologne.
Which is why I’m currently dressed like a prostitute and walking down the hall the penthouse suite registered to Will Smith
.

At the door she scanned the hall just to be sure she was still alone.
All clear
. Inside her sparkly black clutch she pulled out a lock picking kit and in seconds she was inside the foyer of the cavernous suite. She stood still for a moment, listening for any sounds or movement inside the suite.
Nothing
. Down the hall the bathroom light illuminated the hall and part of the main room. Clothes were strewn on the floor, on the sofa and a pair of silk boxers draped over the lampshade.
Enrique must be trying out different looks
, she thought, noticing high quality slacks, worn denim, sneakers and Oxford shorts. The pile didn’t look like it belonged to one person, which is exactly what it should look like for a person on the run.

To the left was the master bedroom and on the other side of the kitchenette was the smaller suite. She started with the master because, what else would a billionaire use? The bed was mussed but not slept in, and the nightstand drawer was pulled slightly out instantly drawing her attention. Rae moved slowly but deliberately and pulled open the drawer. There was nothing but a room service menu, a bible and notepad. She could feel small indentations in the notepad so he must’ve written something down. Now was not the time to check it, she slid the notepad in her clutch and checked the dark wood drawers.
Empty
. Same with the closet and the desk.

She hiked up her skirt and bent to look under the bed. As a bounty hunter she’d learned all the tricks of criminals, fugitives and bail jumpers. And rule number one was that criminals were stupid, which is why she wasn’t surprised to find a black gym bag packed with bundles of cash. A couple hundred grand, if she had to guess. There was only cash, no deposit or withdrawal slips and no other notes to say where Enrique was or where he would be going next. She pulled her phone from her thigh holster and snapped a few images of the cash bundles. She would have the serial numbers traced if she needed to.

The elevator bell chiming in the distance gave her pause. Could Enrique be back already? She checked the time,
10:30
. All her research said Enrique partied until the sun came up so it probably wasn’t him. She held still and listened carefully for footsteps but instead she heard the familiar whir and click of the keycard opener.
Shit
. Rae kicked off her shoes and pulled out her gun, sliding against the wall to use it as a shield.

Heavy footsteps, at least 200 pounds. Slow steady gait means good shape, probably regular trips to the gym. Quick look through drawers, not a burglar.
She slowed her breathing to keep her focus in case the situation went sideways. The gold door handle twisted, the arm holding the gun extended as the looming dark figure scanned the suite and reached for the light switch on the wall behind her.

Click
, she removed the safety. “Don’t move.”

The man slowly turned, his hands held up in a nonthreatening way. “Take it easy. I’m not armed.”

Rae kept her eyes trained on the man, certain by his size he wasn’t Enrique Valdez. But what she hadn’t counted on was having the breath knocked out of her by the handsome man turning towards her. His inky black hair was slicked back and shiny, not a hair out of place. His sharp cheekbones and stone carved jaws gave him the look of an ancient statue of a long lost Greek or Roman god. His lips were light pink and the bottom was the perfect size to bite teasingly, surrounded by a five o’clock shadow. But his best feature, his crowning glory, was the mossy green eyes staring down at her with surprise and a healthy respect for the gun trained on him.
Hot damn this man was delicious
. He was very likely a criminal too, she reminded herself. She smacked the light on with her other hand.

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my brother’s room?”

She would have swooned at that deep baritone if she hadn’t recognized the face as soon as the lights were on. “Hector Valdez,” she practically spat. “I should have known you’d be protecting him.”

Those green eyes widened in surprise. “Hiding him? You’re crazy. I heard he’d been spotted here this afternoon and came to see him.”

Arms crossed with one brow raised, she said nothing and stared. And stared. Finally she spoke, “I guess it didn’t occur to you to call the police since your brother is a fugitive?”

“You’re a cop?”

She was used to the sound of disbelief from men who doubted she could take them down without breaking a sweat or shoot them between the eyes from a thousand feet away. “Is that so surprising?”

“You’re pocket sized, of course it is!”

Rae watched, amused as his eyes stayed glued to the thigh holster where she placed her gun. Ten seconds later she’d flipped Hector over her shoulder and sat on his chest. “Pocket sized, you said?” She chuckled at the look of disbelief on his face.

Hector exhaled a rush of breath when she sat on his chest. “Okay pocket sized but deadly,” he amended. “Do you mind getting off me?”

Rae shook her head. “I don’t mind at all. But I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where Enrique is.”

“As far as I know, he’s staying here. He’s probably at a nightclub somewhere.” He struggled and tried to buck her off, but lost his breath when her thighs squeezed his ribs. “Okay, okay. Seriously I don’t know where he is.”

She stared at him for a long time, lost in those mossy eyes while trying to decide if he was being honest. She didn’t see any deception but he was a man and a businessman, which meant he was probably an excellent liar. “Fine,” she stood and helped him up.

“Do you have a name?” He straightened his overcoat and dusted off pretend debris from it.

“Yes. A first, middle and last.” She stepped into her stilettos, gaining about five inches in height in the process. “I wouldn’t try to help him if I were you, no amount of money will save you from aiding a fugitive from justice.”

He shook his head in annoyance. “I’m not eager to help Ricky. He made this bed for himself but his stupidity is affecting
my
business and I need to talk to him before he goes in.” He looked at her nervously. “I really need to speak with him Ms.,” he trailed off hoping she would supply her name. She didn’t. “Can you contact me if you find him before the police? I just need five minutes, that’s all.”

She crossed her arms, accentuating her ample cleavage. “Five minutes? And in three you’ll have him on a private jet to some non-extradition treaty country, right? No thanks, not interested.”

~

Hector watched the beautiful woman walk away, that black dress hugging her body so tight his own pants were starting to feel a touch uncomfortable. The past fifteen minutes had felt like an eternity, beginning with staring down the barrel of a gun being held by a tiny slip of a woman with skin the color of cocoa and eyes the color of warm honey. She was a knockout, and apparently she could kick some serious ass. Based on her clothes he assumed she wasn’t a cop, maybe a private detective but he didn’t think so. She didn’t seem like a criminal but it’s possible his brother had ripped her off, or someone close to her.

Either way she’d found Enrique’s hideout faster than he had so he guessed some type of fugitive recovery officer. It didn’t matter. He would find out her identity and use her to find his brother. He needed to make sure Ricky hadn’t ripped off any of his clients and if he had, his brother wouldn’t have to worry about jail. He’d kill him.

He whipped out his phone and hit a button. “Scarpinski, I need an ID on a woman. Black female, five foot one or two, one hundred fifteen pounds, honey colored eyes with military training. Start with bail bondsmen.” He clicked off the call and exited his brother’s room. He wasn’t there now and chances were he wouldn’t be here tomorrow.

He needed to talk his brother before he went to prison where his visits were recorded. Hector had no idea his brother had been engaged in shady and illegal business practices, he honestly didn’t think Ricky was smart enough to be shady. But apparently it took all types to steal people’s money and his baby brother was the type. He sat down at the hotel bar in search of answers. They wouldn’t be forthcoming from his brother or the bottom of a glass, but right now he needed something. “Whiskey. Macallan 25. Neat,” he gave the terse order to the pretty bartender. It might not help but it certainly couldn’t hurt.

Hector stayed a while. There was a chance he’d run into his brother as he cleared out, but knowing his brother he would just leave without checking out.

It didn’t matter, Scarpinski would find the chocolate skinned stunner and she would help him find the answers he needed. Then Enrique could rot in prison for all he cared.

~

“I’ll be fine, sis. I’m not a kid.”

Rae looked at her younger brother and smiled at his mature answer. Of course at seventeen he was no longer a kid, but she would always think of him as her kid brother. “I know you’re not Marcus, I just don’t want you to get in trouble while I’m gone.” She worried so much about her brother being out anywhere on the streets of Chicago. The city was dangerous especially for a young black man and Marcus was going to college. If she could get him through the next few months she could rest easier.

“You don’t have to worry about me Rae. I give trouble a wide berth.” He smiled at the
get real
look she gave him. “Plus this bounty is going to make you partner, right?”

She shrugged and sighed heavily. “That’s what Hal says but I don’t believe a word he says. My capture rate is too good to pull me off the streets and he can’t really afford to. But this bounty will help with your tuition.” The academic scholarship Marcus received would only cover half the cost of tuition and the full cost of books. The rest was up to her.

“You don’t have to do that Rae. I can go to a cheaper college. A degree is a degree, right?”

Her smile widened at his words. He really was the greatest kid. But he was wrong, she
did
have to do this and everything else she’d done since their parents were killed in a home invasion while she was in Iraq. She’d had a few months left before her contract was up but the Army let her finish early to take custody of a then twelve year old Marcus. “Of course I do. Who else is gonna take care of me in my old age?”

He shrugged with a smile. “I don’t know, I’ll be working at the CDC in Atlanta so you better hurry up and find a man, maybe have some kids.” His laugh made him sound like a little boy. “I could use a few rugrats around here to boss around.”

“You have a better chance of that happening than me, kid.”

Marcus rolled his eyes. “So how long will you be gone?”

“A few days, five at the most. If nothing pans out I’ll come back before heading back out again. You call me if you need anything,” she kissed his cheek, “and please stay out of trouble.”

“Always, sis.”

When she arrived at the hotel to check in, Rae was already exhausted. It had been a long week and the upcoming one promised to be even longer. She would go up to her room, catch a nap and spend the rest of the night going over everything she could find about the life and times of Enrique Valdez. He had an ex-wife in town as well as a mistress, both of whom she would be visiting this week. But first, first she needed to sleep.

The keycard slid into the door and the green light flashed. Rae sagged in relief, stumbling through the door and scanning the room for signs of disturbance. She dropped her bags at the door and pulled the gun from the holster hidden under her jacket. “Who’s in here,” she called and heard a breath hitch. She smacked the switch on the wall and the room lit up. “Goddamit Valdez do you want me to shoot you?”