Holt's Holding part two (The Holt's Series) (6 page)

“Are you so sure?” his tone was flat “Who else could it be
Lillian? Or should I call you by your real name Elizabeth?” his expression smug
and arrogant, pulling at my rage.

“I don’t give a shit what you call me…but you will back
off.
 
I once told you can take everything
from me; but you will never have me… my daughter is me.
 
I don’t care about my father’s company take it…you
clearly deserve it…but leave me the fuck alone. If you dare come near my
daughter or me, I will bash your skull in. and I don’t make threats I don’t
intend to keep Sebastian. I’m tired of all the fucked games you and your
brother want to play. I’m not a chess piece nor will I allow my daughter to be
one.”

“It was you at the hospital today with my father…” He shook
his head. “Funny, I didn’t realize all this time who you were. You went to some
lengths to conceal yourself. Hell, father did a damn good job to keep Charlie
and me away from you all these years.
 
I
never understood. However, today in the hospital one thing rang true. When he
said, we were unworthy of an introduction…that’s when I realized that you were
Elizabeth Holtinbach. Charlie had come back cussing up a storm.” He grinned and
shook his head.

I watched him rise to his feet and walk to the window. I
caught another grin this one amused.

“Nice parking job.” He turned back to me “I like the blonde
hair and the cut it suits you”

“I don’t give a shit what you like” my voice was laced with
nothing but hate and anger.

“Still feisty I see”, he turned and put his hands in his
pockets. “There was something so familiar about you that day in the basement
and more so in the elevator we shared. I should have known then. I remember you
when you were what fourteen fifteen? I watched you thru your father’s office
window. I believe you were at the fence looking around to see if anyone was
looking then quickly jumped on the horse bareback. You were captivating even
then.” He paused and laughed, “Your father…you ran into his office all
ecstatic. I remember he glared to my father then to Charlie and me. He was
swift to remove you from that office but I suspect it was due to Charlie and me
being there. They both made a point that you would always be off limits to us.
Perhaps your father was a very perceptive man. Either way you were too young
then.”

“I don’t see your point of traveling down memory lane. I
see no purpose in it.”

“I suppose you would not. And it doesn’t change the fact
that Holtinbach Industries will be mine in a few days.”

“Like I said you can have it.”

The cologne assaulted me quick. Every hair on my neck stood
and the chill ran thru me. I watched Sebastian as his expression was clearly
telling he had noticed my little shift and uneasiness.

Slighting his head, he looked past me. “Charlie so good of
you to drop by”

“Well, well what do we have here? I guess we finally get
that introduction…Elizabeth.”

Unmoved; my eyes still on Sebastian, I grinned. There was
no way for me to leave this time.

“I suppose it was your fine parking job out in front?”
Charlie added.

“I own this property, along with this building and I will
park where the fuck I please.” I turned to Charlie as his mouth and eyes were
the look of a man who was in shock.

“What the bloody hell? You’re awake? And …” his words were
failing him.

“Charlie let me introduce you to Elizabeth; or as we so
affectionately have known her as Lillian.” Pausing something was finally
registering, “Hold on; you own this building?”

“Yes, dumb ass…I own quite a bit of real estate. I take it
you didn’t check when you bought the agency? Which by the way I let you buy?
However, I didn’t understand why you would bother with such a small agency?
Nonetheless, I could have stopped your take over, but thought it to be too interesting.
I was curious to what type of men the two of you really were.
 
Nevertheless, I do believe your father was
right about the two of you. You have value in nothing and you acquire things
like it’s a sport.” Trying to break my locked eyes with Charlie’s, I forced my
body to turn slightly, and looked to Sebastian.

“When this takeover is done; I hope to never see the two of
you again. Do not contact me in any form or I will slap you with a restraining
order. Drop this ridiculous petition to the courts and let me be.”
 
My emotions were flowing off me in strong
currents of distain.

“What petition? What are you up to Sebastian?”

I watched as Sebastian just figured it out…perhaps he knew
all along. His eyes dropped to by abdomen and he gestured his head while
grinning.

“I’ll drop my petition Lillian but I suppose it is Charlie
who may just file next. Not that anyone in this room doesn’t know.” yes, he
grinned waiting for Charlie to figure it out.

“What the hell is going on between the two of you?”

I backed up and shook my head. I wasn’t ready to deal with
Charlie.
 
I could only hope that he wouldn’t
want anything to do with my daughter.

Charlie came up quick behind me, snaking a hand around my
waist and the other to my wrist applying pressure to it. The bat fell from my
hand to the floor and he forced my hand up into my body as he held me tight to
him.

With his hand on my belly, I knew he felt the small little
kick. The recognition crept up slow, and was finally dawning on him.

Charlie pushed his head to the side of mine.
 
Testing my will, my resolve.
 
Closing my eyes briefly, the scent of his
cologne wrapped me.
 
“You’re pregnant” he
whispered, “this is my baby isn’t it?”

“Get your hands off me.” I breathed, “This is my baby” the
tears fell hard and I couldn’t hide from them. The memory of that last night
and how he kissed me, how he touched me and finally how he made love to me
flooded my mind. However, there was something more there…and not just for me. I
felt it in him and the way his hold on me shifted.

“I would have to say…this is a check mate brother and to
you.” Catching Sebastian’s expression, he actually looked disappointed and
walked from the room closing the door behind.

“Let me go Charlie” Still crying I felt his hand still in
place was rubbing my swollen belly.

“Three months I longed to hold you…I thought that you were
permanently lost to me. You were the first thing I had ever grieved for…when
you didn’t come back Sunday…then I heard of the accident. I saw the car. I was
sure you died. I felt a loss that I was sure I would never experience. I
realized then that I was wrong you are the only thing that I value Lillian and
here I stand finally holding you and you carry my child. So forgive me but I
have no intention of letting you or my child.”

“She’s mine Charlie…what makes you so certain that you are
the father?”

“Then tell me Lillian…tell me I’m wrong. Tell my I’m not
the father.” he paused still holding me tight. He was waiting for what he knew,
I could not say.

“That’s what I thought...” he kissed the side of my head,
then finally released his bear hold on me.

Turning slowly, I looked up to him as his hand cupped my
face.
 
What a mess…I needed to leave, as
I was on emotional overload. His words were as close to a profession of love as
they could get without actually saying those little words.

“Let me take you home Lillian. I can’t imagine all this
stress is good for you or the baby.”

“I’m more than capable of driving myself home. I’m not a
cripple, I’m pregnant.” I tried to step past him.

Stopping me, he forced the kiss; his lips landing on mine
and the tremble that rocked me wasn’t one of fear…it was the emotions that it
unlocked.

I was in trouble…

“I’m taking you home…I think we have a lot that needs to be
sorted through.”

Breathing in slowly…I didn’t know what to do. He led me
from the conference room with his hand possessively clutching mine.

It seemed as if the entire office was in a
stand still
, holding their breath and watching silently as
we walked to the elevators. We didn’t speak once and his hand was firm on my
hand. Possibly in fear of letting it go that I would run.

Once thru the lobby, we walked to the car parked in front
of the doors.

He looked at me, then laughed in amusement.

Charlie opened the passenger side door and I hopped in.
 
Closing the door, I just laughed…so not the
way I thought this afternoon to turn out.

Starting the car, he paused and looked to me shaking his
head as he turned to the back of the car and pulled us out into the lane.

Yes, he was very amused with my actions.

“I’m surprised you didn’t take the car straight thru the
lobby doors.” He laughed.

“I’ve only owned the car for all of 8 hours…but the thought
had entered my mind.” I grinned.

“A bat…you had a bat…planning on hitting someone?”

“I’m going to blame it on pregnancy hormones. Let’s just
leave it at that.”

“I have to know…how long you have been awake.”

“Four days.”
 
I
breathed exhausted.

“Really? You must be on quite the emotional roller coaster Lillian…I
couldn’t imagine.” he looked at the road and pulled out.

“I was released yesterday. I had a follow up earlier. Had
it not been for Sebastian’s email I would not have known of your father. I knew
I was taking a risk by seeing him. But, I once loved your father; he was like
family.”

“Can I ask… where does the name Lillian come from since
clearly it is not your name?”

“But it is Charlie…just as you go by your middle name…so do
I. My sister was not able to call me by my first name so she started calling me
Lilly and it just stuck. My father and Uncle Scotty…I mean Prescott called me
by my first name.”

“Uncle Scotty?” He laughed “Wow I don’t think I’ve ever
heard anyone address him so…everyone has always used such a formal title with
him hell even Sebastian and I were forced to address him as father, never dad
or daddy, for we were told it not be proper.”

“Well he was the one whom offered the name. Perhaps it was
my difficulty at a young age to say his full name. I’m not sure. I love him
Charlie; I thought he had the right to know that I was pregnant.” I bit my lip
staring out onto the moving highway unsure where all my rage had disappeared
to.

“It’s obvious he loves you…he’s always loved you; perhaps
more than he did me or my brother…In many ways I had spent a good part of my
life envious of a little girl whom I knew nothing about.” I turned to his confession…it
now was all starting to dawning on me.

“So where is home Lilly?”

“Do you remember how to get to my parents old property?”

“Yes? But I thought the house was gone?”

“I had it rebuilt…it was finished about six months ago.”

The rest of the drive we would sit in silence reeling thru
all that we had learned of each other.

Finally, home, he pulled up the snowy driveway and parked
by the front door. Exiting the car, Charlie came around swiftly, and opened my
door.

Looking at him, I couldn’t believe he was here.
 
His eyes meeting mine, that frozen gaze would
always be present.
 
His expression
curious and almost joyful.
 
I don’t
suppose I’ll ever be able to read him.
 

We walked to the door together and into the house.
Disarming the alarm, I wasn’t sure what next. What would happen. This was a
first for me. I had no plan and nothing to go by.

I turned to him and offered a small smile. I walked thru
the opening into the family room, as I knew he would follow.

“Wow…the house is amazing…though very different than the
one that once sat here.”

“I needed it to be more my own” I offered looking around my
home.

“It appears you are ready for Christmas?” he spoke in awe,
looking around.

“My friends decorated the house for me. I suppose they
wanted to give me something to truly come home to.” Pausing, I turned to him.
My eyes pleading, “Don’t take my daughter from me…she is all that I have
Charlie.”

“Lilly; I would never do that…but you would have me just
walk away…you had no consideration for me at all? You ask me to not do this,
yet you yourself would do it to me?” The hurt was evident in his eyes.

He was right…I was and had asked him to walk away from his
child. I was indeed the hypocrite.

“You once told me that no matter how much you desired me
that another would always….” He didn’t allow me to speak and his lips were hard
to mine. The kiss was telling. However, this was no more than a diversion. I
pulled from him. “Stop.”

I shook my head at him and broke his hold. “I’m done with
the games Charlie. And I’m not interested in casual fucking.”