Saint James, Elle - Unbridled and Unbound [The Double Rider Men's Club 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (25 page)

“Yes,” they both said simultaneously.

Stella tried and failed to hold in her tears. “I really love the both of you.”

“We love you, too,” they both said.

Later on, she knew her men would prove their love to her with their bodies.

Stella couldn’t wait.

* * * *

Clay smiled to himself as he held the door open for Stella to climb out of his SUV. He was about to have some good old-fashioned fun and right a wrong at the same time.

He grabbed her elbow and walked with her to the elaborately decorated entrance of the law firm of Baker, Fuller and Howe. It definitely looked like a Western law office. Lots of tall glass windows, slate-colored stone, and weathered wood were arranged in a pleasing and rustic display.

“Thanks for coming with me, Clay.” Stella flashed him a smile. “I didn’t want to go in to work alone to meet Mr. Baker. It’s only been a two weeks, but seems like I’ve been gone for long time.”

“No problem. That’s what protective older male relatives do.” Clay hadn’t told her the true reason he’d wanted to tag along.

A week ago, Clay had seen the cardboard box Stella had brought from where she worked. On the top of the pile was a glass-framed company picture from some company ceremony. He recognized someone in the picture. Someone he hadn’t seen in many years.

Careful research in a few places he probably shouldn’t have been reading had yielded interesting information regarding the person in the picture and a further theory he wanted to test.

“Still, it’s nice to go in to work feeling like I have a bodyguard, just in case I need one.”

He nodded. “That’s the job of any security detail. I promise that I’ll promptly crush anyone who fucks with you.”

She laughed as they crossed the threshold of the entryway and warm air surrounded them.

A pretty dark-haired receptionist sat at a circular desk and smiled with seemingly genuine happiness as Stella approached. Her gaze took him in, but she focused quickly back on Stella.

“Stella. It’s so good to see you.” Her bright smile almost made Clay take notice. Long ago, he’d been partial to brunettes. But he wasn’t here to chat up a pretty receptionist. He was here for Stella.

“Hi, Abby, good to see you, too.”

“Are the rumors true? Are you coming back here to work?”

“I’m considering it, but I haven’t quite decided yet.”

She leaned closer to Stella. “I’m not the only one who misses you.”

Stella’s brows furrowed. “Who else misses me?”

Abby glanced over each shoulder before leaning further forward and whispering, “I’m convinced Claudia misses you, but she’d never admit it out loud. She actually has to work and do all the things she used to make you take care of.”

“Oh no, the horror.” Stella’s lyrical laughter touched Clay’s hardened soul. He was glad she had cheered up so significantly after spending quality time with Dominick and Tyler. The three of them deserved to be happy together. He thought they made an outstanding threesome.

Abby leaned even closer as if she was about to spill gossip. “Plus, she and Mr. Fuller aren’t sharing any
benefits
anymore. If you know what I mean.”

“Really?” Stella leaned forward. “What happened?”

“Rumor around the water cooler is that she was sleeping with someone else. Someone even more inappropriate than Mr. Fuller. It was also apparently the reason she was late the morning you were sent off, for no good reason, by Mr. Fuller. The next day they had a big fat fight in his office. The gist of the conversation was hard to ignore.”

“Wow. I’m sorry to have missed that.” Stella asked, “So who could possibly be more inappropriate to sleep with than her boss?”

Abby looked over one shoulder and scanned the area carefully before whispering, “Mr. Fuller’s twenty-two-year-old son.”

Stella’s eyes widened. “And I thought she only screwed men who could boost her career or give her money.”

The phone rang and Abby put a finger in the air before answering it. After directing a call, she put her attention back on the two of them. She took a longer look at him this time. He didn’t frown or anything, but tried not to look too fierce.

Abby’s gaze lingered a bit, but Clay turned away, not wanting to lead her on. He was here for his own amusement, not to get a date. That particular pleasure, of seeking women, wasn’t even on his radar. Not yet.

“Is Mr. Baker ready to see me, Abby?”

“He sure is. Told me to send you right back to his office just as soon as you got here.” Abby glanced at Clay. “Will your friend be going back there, as well?”

Clay could speak for himself. “Yes. I’m accompanying her, but not directly into Mr. Baker’s office. I’ll wait for her close by. I hope that won’t be a problem.” He rested one elbow on the elevated counter and drilled her a long, steady look.

“No. Not at all. That will be just fine.” She in turn stared at his mouth for just a bit too long, but soon recovered.

Stella tilted her head his way. “I’ll keep an eye on him. He’s my bodyguard in case Claudia the Bitch gets out of hand.”

Abby turned back to Stella. “Just so you know, Mr. Baker’s secretary is not here today, so just knock on his door.”

She then smiled and leaned toward Clay. “Behave yourself now.”

Clay also moved forward. “I’ll do my best.” Then he winked at her. “But no promises.”

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a bit. He was a little ashamed of himself for that bit of flirting. Someday he’d get back into the dating world, but not yet. He turned away and followed Stella.

She waved at Abby and broke her staring spell. Together he and Stella walked into the law firm. She moved straight ahead. Clay swiveled his head around slowly, looking for Claudia. He’d seen a picture of her from seven years ago. Given the description he’d gotten from Dominick, Clay already knew she hadn’t changed that much. A skinny, tight-assed bitch on wheels that made otherwise ordinary and competent men turn into idiots because she put out and sucked cock for anyone who might further her career or her bank account.

The moment they arrived at Mr. Baker’s office, Stella was ushered inside his private office by Mr. Baker. She introduced him as a friend. Clay told her he’d wait outside.

Instead of seating himself, Clay wandered down the hall toward a water fountain by the exit. Three doors down and on the left, he found Claudia’s office.

“Hi, Claudia Walker,” he said and leaned a shoulder against the doorframe of her office. He glanced at her door. “I mean, Claudia Hart.”

Her mud-brown eyes lifted to greet his steady gaze first in anger, but then she got a better look at him. The recognition hit her hard even all these years later. She half stood and promptly dropped a sheaf of papers across her already messy desk, scattering them into the mix of untidiness. “Clayton?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

She stood up the rest of the way and backed against her chair. “What in the world are you doing here?”

“I came to take care of some old business involving you.”
I’m settling a score
.

Her sudden panicked look satisfied him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you?” Clay shook his head and lifted his shoulder away from her door. “Well, I’ll just have a nice chat with your boss and ask if you disclosed your criminal past before getting a job here. Does he know that you lost your license to practice as a paralegal at your last job?”

“Don’t do that!” Claudia zipped around the corner of her desk. “What do you want?”

“I want you to leave town.”

She skidded to a stop two yards from him. “Leave town? Are you insane? I can’t leave town.” She crossed her skinny arms and pursed her lips as if she wasn’t about to budge. “I won’t leave.”

Clay shrugged. “Fine. I’ll just send an anonymous note to someone in charge here at Baker, Fuller and Howe. I’m sure they won’t fire your ass for lying to them about who you really are. And I’m equally certain those embezzlement charges won’t haunt you once you explain how you changed your name and fled the other state to avoid prosecution.”

“I never embezzled any money,” she hissed.

Clay shrugged. “But you received all that stolen cash from the man you convinced to steal for you anyway and you never turned it over to the authorities, did you?” Clay made a tsk, tsk noise. “Not even when they asked you about it.”

She took a deep breath and pushed it out. The smile she shaped looked forced. “Doesn’t matter. Claudia Walker no longer exists.”

“Oh yes. Clever of you to find a way to get another identity and set up here, but I have access to deeper databases full of information. There are so many ways to reveal your true identity.”

She pushed out a long breath and a weak, cloying smile appeared on her too thin lips. “What will it take you make you forget that you saw me here?”

“Your resignation from this firm.” He smiled when he said, “Today.”

Claudia rolled her eyes. “Today?” She shook her head. “Not going to happen, Clay. I have some of that money still put away. I could give you—”

Clay shook his head. “I don’t want your dirty money, Claudia. I want you gone from here.”

She stomped her foot. “But that’s not fair. I have a good thing going. I didn’t do anything wrong and I don’t want to leave.”

“That’s not my problem. Besides, if you didn’t do anything wrong why then you don’t have anything to worry about, do you?”

She pushed out a long breath. Seconds later a seductive look came over her face. She moved closer and her hands landed on his upper arm. “We never managed to get together all those years ago…”

“There was a reason for that,” Clay said under his breath.

“…but I’m willing to do anything for you. Name it. Absolutely anything.”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I wasn’t interested in you back then and I’m especially not interested now.” He removed her roving hand that was headed for his crotch and pushed her away. One of his friends had thrown himself off a building and ended up in a permanent coma after Claudia Walker had done a number on him.

She dropped her arms and frowned. “Surely there is something you want.”

“Yes. I want you to go quit your job this instant or I turn over all available information that I have from your sordid past. You can explain it all to the powers that be about how you’re really innocent.”

She squeezed her lips together so tight, he expected them to crack her face in half.

He glanced at his watch. “Tick, tock, Claudia.”

She turned away, and a frustrated-sounding noise much like a grunt came forth.

Clay walked back to the space outside where he’d left Stella. Before a minute had gone by, he saw Claudia march past with her purse and an oversized shopping bag. She didn’t look at him and he didn’t care. She’d made her bed a long time ago. It was time she took a snooze in it. His long-ago friend had ultimately lost his life because of her.

Retribution wouldn’t bring Clay’s friend back, but it felt good for her to suffer the loss of this job.

Less than five minutes later he heard some raised voices from the direction where Claudia had gone. The smile that curved his lips couldn’t be helped. He took a certain satisfaction in taking her down. Now if Stella wanted to return to work here, she could do so without having to worry about Claudia the Bitch.

Stella and Mr. Baker emerged from his office minutes later. Mr. Baker, with concern and a certain confusion written all over his face, made his way down the hall in the same path as Claudia.