The White Billionaire: The Complete Collection (Books 1-4) Read online

  “I’m sorry to bombard you like this, but you’ve never replied to any of my messages and so I felt it was best that I come here and speak to you in person,” Jane said quickly.

  “I changed my number about 3 years ago,” I replied.

  I couldn’t stop looking at the kid that was holding on to his mother’s leg. I searched his face for features that looked like me. He was a downright adorable kid, but I wasn’t sure if he looked like me at all. However, I knew that looks weren’t enough to go on in order to determine paternity. I also didn’t want to upset her by making such an accusation.

  Jane and I hooked up a few times about 4 years prior. Neither of us was looking for anything serious at the time, and so it was a perfect match. However our brief encounters fizzled out, and I moved on my life. We stopped calling each other and so I figured that it was a mutual decision. She never had a real idea of who I was. She was aware that I had a substantial amount of money, but she never realized that I was a billionaire.

  “That would explain it,” she said with a half-smile.

  “I’m sorry but please forgive me. I’m at a loss for words, this is really unexpected. Why did you decide to reach out to me now?”

  She took a deep breath, “I was trying to move on with my life with our son, and I was doing just fine. It was difficult raising your child, and you weren’t even aware that you had a son. So when you popped up in the press, I took it as a sign to contact you.”

  I took a deep breath and scolded myself for being so mistrusting. She never struck me as the devious type when we were involved, but I knew that most people operated with ulterior motives.

  “So because you saw me in the press you decided that it was time to tell me that I had a son?” I asked. Much to my dismay, I wasn’t able to mask the anger in my voice.

  “You vanished! I tried to call you, and that was the only way of contacting that I knew of. We met in hotels, and it was only after seeing you in the press that I knew how to track you down,” she said in exasperation.

  “So what do you want from me exactly?” I said as I tempered my voice. I didn’t want to scare her child.

  “I want you to be a father to your son,” she said in a matter of fact tone.

  I ran a hand down my face, and I swallowed hard when I saw Camille get off of the elevator.

  #Chapter2

  “I just need for you to stick through this with me.”

  Kyle

  Kyle couldn’t have thought that it was that easy. I know that trick, hell I’ve done that trick. I’ll say something really quickly and leave before the person has a chance to say anything back. There’s no way that I was going to stay upstairs like a “good girl” while he went to see his son. Usually I would mind my own business but this was definitely in the realm of my business. Kyle and I were about to get married, and this was something that could affect the rest of our life. After I gave it a few moments I headed to the elevators. I hoped that he wouldn’t be upset, but my curiosity had gotten the best of me.

  When I stepped off of the elevator I could hear Kyle and the woman talking.

  “What do you want from me exactly?” He asked the woman in a strained voice.

  She was pretty good looking. She was about 5’4, jet black hair, pale skin, and a great body. When I saw her I immediately thought of her as a vampire if that makes any sense. Her beauty was ethereal, and it annoyed me to no end because I just wanted her to go away. A twinge of jealousy struck me, and it was crazy because we were about to get married.

  “I want you to be a father to your son,” she replied. Ugh, even her voice was like liquid gold.

  Kyle’s eyes locked onto mine, and he looked guilty. “Now isn’t a good time. We’ll have to meet later during the week to discuss this further,” He told her. She responded with a flustered look and she wasn’t sure what to say. I looked down at the boy that was holding on to her leg. He looked just like his mother. I walked over before the both of them walked out.

  “Hello,” I interjected, “I’m Camille, Kyle’s fiancée, and it’s nice to meet you.” I extended my hand, and she quickly took it.

  “Hi, Camille I’m Jane, and this is Jason,” she said as she motioned towards her son.

  “Hi Jason,” I said brightly to the little boy. He gave a shy smile and hid behind his mother.

  “He’s shy,” she said.

  “It’s okay. He’s a real cutie, and he looks just like you.”

  We all stood there in silence for a moment and everything felt awkward but I wasn’t going to be the one to break the silence.

  “Well, I guess that we’ll get going,” Jane said as she picked her son up and placed him on her hip, “I’ll be in touch.”

  “One moment,” Kyle said before he reached into his blazer jacket and pulled out one of his business cards, “Here’s my card.”

  Jane looked at him with disdain and took the card from him before she walked out of the lobby. Kyle walked towards the elevator and I followed him. We got onto the elevator, and I watched him pace back and forth. His stress level was through the roof, and I couldn’t remember a time when I’d ever seen him like that.

  “You never told me that you had a child,” I said as we stepped off of the elevator.

  “This is all new to me too. She showed up today, and it’s been at least 3 and half years since I’ve spoken to her.”

  I sighed heavily because this was something that I couldn’t blame him for even though I wanted to. After all that I’d put him through I didn’t have room to be judgmental about his past.

  “Okay, now what?” I asked.

  “I don’t have a clue about what’s going to happen with that. But I can promise you that this won’t change anything with me and you,” he said seriously before he grabbed my hand and kissed it.

  I smiled nervously, “Do you promise?”

  “Yes I promise. I will have to work something out, but I will make good on my promise. I just need for you to stick through this with me.”

  My heart felt like it dropped when I realized the vibe that I was giving off. It never entered into my mind to leave him over something like this. He’d been through hell and back with me, and this was the least that I could do for him.

  “I’m not going anywhere Kyle,” I said.

  He gave a small sigh of relief, “I’m happy to hear it. Everything has just happened so fast and so it’s hard to know what to expect.”

  “Nothing is going to keep me away from you, I’m here for the long haul,” I said as I leaned in and kissed him.

  I was telling him the truth, but my insides felt twisted as if I was about to jump off of a cliff. I kept seeing the little boy’s cute cherub face in my head, and I felt a twinge of jealousy. It was my dream to be able to give Kyle his first child, and that wasn’t a possibility for me anymore. My idea of perfection had just been shattered.

  #Chapter3

  “I planned on being more than a walking ATM for my son.”

  Kyle

  The following few days were tough to get through.

  Camille and I were focusing on opening up our new business ventures but my thoughts kept shifting to my son. I wondered how Jane managed to keep him away from me for so long. I’m not the kind of man that would be a deadbeat father. The Kane men always took care of our responsibilities, and I felt like I’d been robbed out of the beginning of his life.

  Camille wasn’t saying much about it, but I was worried that she wasn’t happy with what had occurred. She’d entered our relationship and engagement under the assumption that I didn’t have any children, and now we’d been sidelined with the news. I knew that I had to get everything under control as soon as I possibly could so I set up a meeting between me and Jane. She called me the day after I spoke to her, and we set up a meeting at my bar. It was a great way for me to check out the progress that had been made and a private spot for us to meet.

  I was proud of Camille for allowing me to go alone. I gave her the option of tagging along, but
she declined. It had to be really hard for her considering the circumstances and considering the fact that she’s really nosy. It was something that I wanted to do alone, but I wasn’t going to shut her out of that portion of my life. She was my fiancée, and I refused to withhold anything from her. That wasn’t the way that I wanted us to begin our life together.

  I was sitting at one of the tables in the bar having a glass of wine when Jane arrived. I was very happy with the way that everything was coming along, and I felt like a king in his castle. There were a few people buzzing around the bar and making preparations for the opening. I got up to open the door once I saw her arrive.

  “Thanks for coming,” I said as I held the door open for her.

  “No problem, I’m just happy that you didn’t blow me off.”

  “I wouldn’t do anything like that,” I said as I escorted her to the table.

  “It’s good to see that you still have manners,” she laughed.

  “My mom raised me well.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do with Jason.”

  “Would you like a glass of wine?” I asked as I poured her a glass.

  “Umm sure.”

  We sat in silence for a few moments as we took small sips of the robust red wine. I hated being at a loss for words. I was used to being in complete command of situations, but this was something that I didn’t have any control over. I had to tackle this the same way that I tackled everything else because it was the only way that I knew how.

  “So what do you want?” I asked.

  “So you’ve just cut right to the chase,” she said with a nervous laugh.

  “I don’t want to waste your time and it’s clear that we need to face this head on. Jason has been here for over 3 years, and I’m ready to get the ball rolling because I’m late,” I said honestly.

  “It hasn’t been easy raising him all by myself. Actually, it’s been a huge struggle doing it alone. I need money to help support our son, and that’s really all that I want.”

  My lips pressed into a straight line because I planned on being more than a walking ATM for my son. I still regretted the way that I met and ignored him when I first met him. I was going to become an active part of his life, and I felt fortunate that he was still pretty young.

  “That’s not a problem but I refuse to be a deadbeat dad. I will be a part of his life from here on out.”

  “I’m glad to hear it and that’s really what I hoped for. I didn’t want to ask more of you than what you were willing to give; I understand that this is a shock. Maybe you can take him out this weekend?”

  “That would be great, I’m ready to get to know him However, I do have to say that I’m engaged to be married, and nothing will change that,” I explained.

  She gave a wave of her hand, “I don’t want to ruin your family. I just want to give Jason the opportunity to get to know the other part of his family.”

  “Good. I’ll talk to my lawyer today, and we’ll work out how the money situation will work. Don’t worry about it; I’ll make sure that the both of you are very well taken care of.”

  She smiled appreciatively, “I’m not worried about it. Thank you.” She rose from the table, “I guess I’ll be hearing from you soon?”

  “Yes, very soon. Please allow me to escort you out.”

  **

  I had to get out of the house to calm my nerves while Kyle was seeing Jane. I did my best to be a big girl when he asked me if I wanted to go with him. I wanted to say ‘hell yes’ but the rational portion of me wouldn’t allow me to. It was something that he needed to do alone, and my presence would have only made things tense.

  So I went to see my friend Cynthia because I knew that she would make me feel better. She was a beacon of light in a dark world. I know that’s being overly dramatic, but the positive energy that she gave off on a consistent basis was baffling. I was happy because soon I wouldn’t have to drive to the hood anymore to come and see her because Kyle agreed to move her and Sandy into a better apartment. The fact that he was willing to do that for my friend’s only made me love him more. He treated them as if they were my family and at this point they were all that I had. My mother was a complete basket case and so I relied on my friends for love and support.

  “Camille calm down,” Cynthia said in a soothing tone.

  I had just finished telling her about everything that had occurred with Kyle and his son. I was trying not to overreact, but I felt fortunate that I didn’t have to hide my feelings with her. She never judged me for my tears, and she always made me feel better. That was a lot more than I could say for my friend Sandy. Sandy always gave you the raw and unadulterated truth even when it was unwarranted. It was also her version of the truth and her thinking could be pretty warped. However, she really loved me, and I loved her back. I’m sure that I had my qualities that she couldn’t stand either.

  “I’m trying to calm down but I’m freaking the hell out on the inside. It’s tough trying to keep a calm exterior when I feel like breaking down whenever I think about it,” I admitted.

  “Have you ever considered telling him the truth about how you feel? He strikes me as the kind of man that can take the truth. You aren’t doing your relationship any favors by withholding your feelings,” she said with an extreme amount of patience.

  “You’re right but that’s easier said than done. This is pretty new for him too, and I don’t want to add to his stress.”

  “You won’t be adding to his stress. He will probably be happy that you’re finally being honest with him. Trust me; he knows that something is wrong with you because you wear your heart on your sleeve. He loves you, and this is something that you can work though. This isn’t the first time that something like this has happened in a relationship, and it won’t be the last. He has a kid, so what?”

  “But what if he wants to get back with her since they already have a child together? Kyle is an honorable man and it would be the ‘right’ thing to do,” I said emphasizing my words with finger quotes.

  “Girl, that’s not the honorable thing to do. They’ve been out of contact for years for a reason. It sounds like he knocked her up and moved on. It doesn’t seem like they had a relationship based on anything other than sex. He loves you, and you’re who he wants to be with. He’s been through hell with you and back, and he’s not going to let that slip through his fingers.”

  “I hope you’re right,” I said as I leaned back on her couch, “Have you gone apartment hunting yet?”

  I smiled when I saw excitement enter her eyes, “Yes I found an apartment in the Hyde Park area. I’ve always wanted to live there; do you think that it will be too pricey?”

  “He didn’t put a cap on how much your rent could be. So feel free to pick wherever you want.”

  “I know but I don’t like to waste people’s money. He really doesn’t have to do this, is he sure?” She asked.

  “He’s absolutely positive so stop trippin’.

  “Okay.”

  “So make the phone call and go check it out. If it’s what you want just let us know and have them invoice Kyle for a year’s worth of rent.”

  “Oh my god, I’m so excited. I swear I’m never moving back over here,” she said.

  “Good that’s the plan. Also have you put in your two weeks’ notice at the diner? Your training starts next week at the restaurant. It’s my hope that you’re manager in a few months. He’s hired on someone temporarily to teach you the ropes.”

  “Yes yes yes I’ve put it in. This is all pretty damned surreal and I don’t think I’ll believe it until it all happens.”

  “It’s happening and trust me I know the feeling. But it’s time for me to get out of here. If you need me call me.”

  “Alright girly, I love you,” she said as she rose to her feet to give me a huge hug.

  “I love you too.”

  I walked out of Cynthia’s house, and all I felt was disdain for the neighborhood that I’d grown up in. It chewed people up and
spit them out with no remorse. When people from my neighborhood made it out of there it was in spite of it and not because of it. The area was downright evil and designed to eat you alive. My decision to move to the southern suburbs was the best that I could have ever made for myself. That move drastically changed my life forever.

  “Hey Cam,” I heard a voice say behind me.

  I turned around to see Rico. He was one of Marcus’ flunkies, and I wasn’t in the mood to entertain his bullshit.

  “Hi Rico,” I said as I continued to walk to my car.

  “You know it’s pretty fucked up what you did to Marcus. He loved you and took care of you and your crack head ass momma for years. This is exactly why I don’t trust females now,” he said.

  I wanted to ignore him, but something about what he said struck a horrible cord within me. Maybe it was because of the guilt that I still harbored for putting Marcus in jail. It was a hard pill to swallow but it was either him or me, and I made the tough decision. The truth was that I would have never did to him what he did to me. I watched him have a baby and move on with someone else, and I didn’t cause him one fourth of the grief that he caused me.

  I turned around, “Shut the hell up. You don’t know anything about what happened between me him. Furthermore, me and Marcus took care of each other. If it wasn’t for me your raggedy ass wouldn’t have had a job. Do you really think it’s smart to talk shit to me? Especially considering what happened to Marcus? Who is going to protect you now Rico?” I asked angrily.

  He looked stunned, and I was satisfied by the dumb look on his face. I didn’t wait for a response as I got into my car. It felt good to let out some of my frustration, and I didn’t feel bad for unleashing a bit onto him. He didn’t have any right to speak to me whatsoever. I never liked him because I’ve always thought that he was a sleaze ball. He had at least 4 children by 4 different women that I knew of, and only God knew the rest. I hated people that didn’t take care of their children, and that’s probably because of the way that I grew up.