Elijah: The Boss's Gift Read Free Page A

your
room.”
    Drying his hands, he left her alone in the kitchen.
He’d not finished the dishes, but he needed to get away. Closing his office
door, he sat behind his large oak desk. On top of his desk was a picture of
Bethan. She had gorgeous black hair with startling blue eyes. All of the women
he fucked now were either blonde or dyed out of a bottle. Bethan had died
giving him Mindy. She hadn’t been strong enough to handle a pregnancy. It was
lucky she’d carried Mindy for so long with her heart defect. Bethan had a hole
in her heart that weakened her.
    “What the hell am I doing?” he asked, staring at her
picture.
    He expected a phone call from his security detail that
Cherry had run off. Ten minutes passed and still nothing.
    “Dad?” Mindy asked, knocking on the door.
    “Yes.”
    The door opened, and she peeked around the corner.
“Can I show Cherry to a room? She says she’s staying here.”
    “Sure.”
    “Dad?”
    “Yeah.” He rubbed at his temples, looking toward her.
    “I like her. She’d be great for you.”
    “Mindy, don’t start.”
    “What? I’m just saying. She’s really pretty.”
    “Go, show her to her room.” He waved his hand out for
Mindy to leave.
    “Love you, Dad.”
    “Love you, too, honey.”
    His door closed and he heard Mindy talking. He should
just let the girl go, but if Marcel wanted, he’d find her. Picking up his
phone, he dialed Caleb Cassell , one of the few men he
actually trusted with his life.
    “Hello,” Caleb asked. “This better be good.”
    “I need some information on a woman.”
    “Fuck, Elijah, it’s Friday night.”
    “So?”
    “I’m with my woman and you want to talk business.
Couldn’t it wait until tomorrow?” He heard Caleb moving away from the sound of
Donna laughing.
    “No, it couldn’t wait.”
    “Fine, I’m in my office. What couldn’t wait?”
    “I need information on a woman. She goes by the name
Cherry Morgan. I don’t think it’s a fake name. It was on all of the identification
with her.”
    “Okay, you want a thorough detail on her?”
    “Yes, everything you can get your hands on, I want it
all.”
    Caleb was silent, and he imagined his friend was
writing everything down. Elijah rubbed at his eyes.
    “Anything else?”
    “No, that’s it.”
    “Do I want to know why you want to know?” Caleb asked.
    “Let’s just say she was a gift.” He liked working with
Caleb and Henry. Both men were known as being the Deadly Duet, two fierce men
that rivaled his own reputation. They were good friends and did a lot of
business together.
    “Wow, you’re taking living gifts now.”
    “I didn’t have much of a choice.”
    “She’s staying with you?”
    “Again, not much
of a choice.” Elijah stared at Bethan’s picture. She smiled back at
him, pressing both hands to her swollen stomach.
    “Seeing as you called, Donna’s pregnant again. You’re
invited to dinner Sunday. Henry’s coming and bringing Lydia. She’s pregnant
also. You can bring Mindy and your new friend.”
    He didn’t think he’d be bringing Cherry anywhere.
    “I’ll be there. I’ve got to go.”
    “Wow, rude, you call me up and now you’re trying to
get rid of me,” Caleb said.
    “Since you’ve gotten married and settled down, you’ve
become way too fucking happy.”
    Caleb laughed. “You’re just jealous. There’s nothing
like waking up every morning to the woman you love.”
    Rolling his eyes, Elijah snorted. “I’ve got to go.”
    “You’re the one who invaded my time, not the other way
around.”
    They said their goodbyes and hung up.
    Staring at Bethan, Elijah ran a finger over his lip.
“What do I do, Bethan?”
    His life hadn’t killed her. An undiagnosed medical
condition killed his wife. She’d been the love of his life, his soul.
    “I don’t know what to do.”
    Reaching out, he took hold of her photo. He didn’t get
any answers, but staring at her calmed the beast inside him. The need to hurt
someone was strong, but he