The Billionaire's Beautiful Mistake (Bold Alaskan Men Book 1) (14 page)

Tyla handed Violet the cup that had been abandoned during the crying spree, suspecting that another wave of sadness was still coming.  “Here.  This will help.  At least for tonight,” she promised. 

Violet took a sip and felt the warmth seep into her bones.  She had no idea if it was from the tea or because of the alcohol, and at this point, she didn’t care.  She was exhausted and hurt.  And angry! 

“He bought me,” she said on a hysterical laugh.  “He actually bought me!”

“Yep!” Tyla said and they clinked glasses. 

Violet took a long sip of the powerful tea and shook her head.  Details were starting to filter through her muddled mind and she was…shocked.  Angry.  Shocked.  Hurt.  Oh yeah, and shocked!  “Five thousand dollars!”  She shook her head. That was such a huge number, she was having trouble wrapping her mind around it! 

Tyla chuckled as she took another sip of her own coffee.  “You must be doing some pretty amazing tricks in that bedroom for him to have come back for the next four nights!” she teased.

Violet’s laugh was horrified.  “Stop!” she gasped on a burst of appalled laughter.  “I can’t even imagine what a sexual trick is!”

Tyla shrugged then.  “He was duped.  Maybe George promised him some acrobatics.”

Violet leaned back and laughed, holding her stomach as the hilarity of the possibilities hit her hard. 

Tyla kept going, trying to ease her new friend’s pain and laughter seemed to be getting her through it.  “Hey, don’t knock it.  If a pole arrives in the mail, or even better, a trapeze, then you’ll know that George was promising something that just was delayed in the mail!”

Violet was laughing so hard she was gasping for air.  Shaking her head, she wiped her tears again.  “A trapeze?  I can picture what to do with a pole, but what would someone do with a trapeze?”

Tyla shrugged, and took another sip of her vodka-laced tea.  “I have no idea.  You’re the one earning five grand for a night in the bedroom.  I’m just trying to get tips.”

That comment started off another burst of laughter in both ladies, and they were almost on the floor when the humor finally subsided.  Violet walked over to the counter and got the teapot, making another cup for both of them.  “Goodness, what a sucker,” she said, but the idea still hurt.  So she poured an extra dose of vodka into her tea this time.  “Or maybe I’m the sucker.  I’d sure like to know what George did with all of that money.  I don’t think even he could spend that kind of money so quickly.”

Tyla sipped her tea, shaking her head.  “Boy, I know what I would do with five thousand dollars.”  She tilted her head with a suspicious grin.  “I wonder if a man really would pay five thousand dollars for sex!”

That caused Violet to sigh.  “Apparently, Creek did.  With me!”

“It sounds awful, that he would think that of you, but turn it around and look on the bright side.”

Violet’s head fell back against the sofa cushions.  “There’s a bright side to someone thinking I’m a prostitute?”

“Sure!” Tyla laughed.  “He must have really wanted to have sex with you.”

Violet thought about that for a long moment.  “Yeah.  I guess that’s pretty nice to know.  But five thousand dollars?  That’s crazy!”

Tyla shook her head.  “No, that’s not crazy.  Not with how much those guys are worth.  They do crazy things, like surf the bore tide or ski down mountains that are inaccessible except by helicopter, zip line across mountains, and climb seemingly smooth cliffs that a sane person would stay away from.  But when it comes to money, five thousand dollars isn’t really all that much to them.”

Violet couldn’t imagine that kind of a lifestyle.  “Sounds dangerous,” she commented and then took a long sip of her vodka-laced tea, feeling the warmth all the way to her toes now. 

Tyla shrugged.  “Like I said, they do crazy things, but this really is the stupidest.”  She snorted slightly.  “So far,” she finished off. 

Violet had to agree with that. 

Tyla tilted her head as a thought occurred to her.  “Of course, that’s really odd.  Those guys are all brilliant when it comes to business.”

Violet looked over at the lovely woman and something struck her. “But not too swift when it comes to understanding women, right?” she offered up.

Tyla closed her eyes briefly against the pain.  “It shows, eh?”

Violet sighed, covering the other woman’s hand.  “Only to someone who has been hit hard by one of the idiots.”

Tyla smiled but it was a bit wobbly.  “I’m sorry that you got caught in their web of charm and…”

“Muscles,” Violet finished for her.  “Goodness, Creek is built!” and she leaned back against the sofa again, just thinking about how well built the man was.  “You’re interested in which one?”

“No,” Tyla replied with a firm tone that actually spoke volumes.  “I don’t feel anything for any of them.”

Violet watched her new friend for a long moment, not sure what to say.  Since she’d only met the woman a couple of hours ago, she had no reason to doubt the lovely woman, but there was just something about the way she said those words that…

“Saeger,” Tyla sighed.  “I’m in love with Saeger.  And the stupid fool barely even realizes that I’m a female.”  Shaking her head, she looked over at Violet.  “At least you had a few nights in Creek’s arms, you know what it feels like when he looks at you with desire.”  She shrugged and sighed again, more despondently this time.  “I will forever be the little sister to one of Saeger’s good friends.  Nothing more.  I doubt that the man even realizes that I have boobs.”

Violet had to laugh at that because the lovely Tyla was definitely full up top.  More than full, she thought.  The woman was stacked! 

“I would bet that all the men in that bar know that you have boobs, Tyla,” Violet replied with a tone that indicated her amusement at the woman’s claims. 

Tyla looked down at her chest, then snickered. “Okay, so yeah, I have them, and he probably knows about them.  But he probably doesn’t acknowledge that they are attached to my body.”

Violet took another long swallow of her tea.  “Well, then we’re both a mess.  You’re a neutered yet buxom female, and I’m a…” she hiccupped out a laugh, “a prostitute worth five thousand dollars a night!” and both women dissolved into laughter again. 

A few hours later, both women were curled up on the floor, the vodka bottle ignored on the countertop, and half a plate of brownies, a bag of potato chips, Cheetos and chocolate ice cream on the floor between them as they sniffled their way through “An Officer and a Gentleman”.  Boos and hisses were called out when Richard Gere ignored his love for Debra Winger, and then sobs when he realized that he can’t live without her and storms through the factory for her, carrying her out of that hard life and into something better.

When the credits rolled, both women were silent. 

“She probably gets pregnant and lives happily ever after,” Violet sighed. 

Tyla rolled onto her side, propped up by the pillows from the couch.  “Nah.  I bet she gets pregnant, lives on a naval base, and he cheats on her with every female naval officer that walks by him.”

Violet laughed at Tyla’s cynical attitude towards love and romance, but she didn’t argue. 

Their voices faded out as exhaustion and the vodka lured them into sleep. 

“Call Knox,” Tucker said into the phone.  “And get down here fast.”

Tucker hung up the phone and watched Creek slam another whiskey back.  Creek was still sitting at the corner table where he and Violet had argued.  Once again, Tucker shook his head.  Violet?  A prostitute? 

No way!  Even an idiot could see that the sweet, pretty brunette was no more of a prostitute than he was a monkey. 

Love!  Shaking his head, he swore to himself that he would never fall in love. Women were fun and sweet, soft and smelled great.  But any commitment lasting longer than a night was for the birds!

A few minutes later, two other men burst into the bar and Tucker nodded to the back of the room. 

The three men walked over to the table where their friend was trying to get drunk.  And failing. 

“What’s going on?” Knox asked, concerned when his friend slammed back yet another slug of whiskey.  “You did this about two weeks ago.”  His mind went into overdrive.  “Violet?”

Tucker nodded, and Saeger rubbed his forehead.  “Women!” Saeger said and looked around.  “It’s Wednesday.  Where’s Tyla?  Shouldn’t she be getting ready for tonight’s shift?”

Tucker rolled his eyes.  “She has the night off.”

Saeger’s body stiffened with anger.  “Why?”

Tucker didn’t answer for a moment, his eyes narrowing on his friend curiously.  “Because she took Violet home.  She’d been drinking and knew she shouldn’t drive.  It’s okay.  Tyla is fine, she’s safe, and she’ll be here tomorrow.”

Saeger kept his mouth shut and turned back to their friend.  “Okay, so what’s wrong with him?”

Tucker pulled the whiskey away and took a swig.  “Call in Jeff, ask him if he can tend the bar tonight.”

Knox immediately pulled out his phone and made a few calls.  Within minutes, he was back.  “Jeff is taking over the bar, and Sarah is coming in to cover for Tyla.  So let’s get out of here and find some place to talk that is more private.”

All three of them agreed with that, but Creek glared at all of them impartially.  “I’m not talking.  It’s overrated.  You guys go ahead and I’ll see you tomorrow.”  Another slug of the whiskey and he leaned his head back. 

Tucker looked at the other three and they all understood.  A moment later, Knox and Tucker had one of Creek’s arms over his shoulder and the two were helping their friend out the door.  When Creek was in the back of the SUV, they climbed in and drove off, straight to Knox’s house. 

While they set up the table to play pool, Creek moved off to the corner chair and scowled at the other men. 

“Yeah, you just sit over there and consider the error of your ways, idiot,” Tucker said, selecting one of the pool sticks. 

Creek glared at the other man, but didn’t argue with him.  He was an idiot.  A fool and an idiot.  He’d messed up big time, and he had absolutely no idea how to fix it.  Violet had been right to slap his face. 

A prostitute?  He had no idea what was going on, but Violet wasn’t a prostitute.  More likely, her stepfather was…

“Oh hell!” he muttered with fury.  “Of course!”

The three men were in the middle of a game, and barely glanced over at Creek.  “I’m guessing he figured it out,” Knox said and took his shot. 

Tucker and Saeger stood back, waiting. 

“I need coffee,” Creek grumbled.  “I need to fix this.”

“Not tonight,” Tucker said and focused on his shot.  A moment later, after the ball dropped into the corner pocket, he said, “Tyla is taking care of Violet.”

“That’s not going to be good,” Saeger grumbled and missed his shot. 

Knox chuckled as he moved in to take his turn.  “I love it when you guys get mixed up with women,” and he sunk his ball into the side pocket.  “Makes playing pool with you so much easier.”

Tucker laughed even while Creek and Saeger glared. 

Creek ignored them and walked over to the bar, making a strong pot of coffee while dialing Violet’s number.  When there was no answer, he didn’t bother to leave a message.  Apologizing for accusing someone of selling their body for money wasn’t something that could be done via voice mail.  He knew that he’d have to go over there and grovel. 

Well, after he bloodied her stepfather’s nose!

Violet walked into the store the following morning, her head still hurting and her heart still aching.  She and Tyla had driven back to Winthrop early that morning after several cups of strong coffee.  Violet was able to retrieve her car and drive back to Appleton, and still open up the shop on time. 

She might be a mess, she might feel like she wanted to fall apart, hide in her apartment under the covers and never see another human being again, but she wasn’t giving Creek that kind of power over her life.  She wasn’t going to give in and let him win! 

Kevin and his crew were in the back and Violet considered going to help them since it was a quiet morning, but she didn’t want to be around people right now.  She wasn’t sure she could hide her feelings from her staff, and she was trying desperately to keep it all under control. 

She suspected she was doing a pretty good job of just getting through the day when she heard the bell over her front door jingle.  Pasting a smile on her face to greet the next customer, she turned around. 

But George was standing in the doorway, looking pretty rough. 

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, furious that he would actually step into her store after what he’d done. 

George’s big head swiveled in the direction of her voice and he grinned sloppily.  “Hey, little lady!  How are you doing?”

Violet was shaking so badly she could barely answer him. 

He walked over to her and chuckled.  “I guess that answers my question,” and he rubbed his lips. 

“What question is that?”

George’s eyes narrowed on hers.  “You’re in a rotten mood.  That means you have been staying away from that man, like I advised you to.”

With his words, more of the puzzle pieces fell into place.  She stepped back and crossed her arms over herself, needing to ward off his bad vibes.  “George, you’re the one who suggested that I needed to have sex with the man in order to keep him.  Why did you offer me that kind of advice?”

He stuffed his hands into his pockets.  “Because it’s true.  A man needs a bit of loving.  It was one of the reasons I couldn’t stay with your momma all the time.”

Violet’s heart broke a little bit more.  “I guess you needed more loving than she was willing to offer, eh?”

He shrugged.  “You’re a woman of the world now.  You know how these things work.”

She considered him for a long moment.  “Do I, George?”

“Course you do, honey.  You know how a man needs to feel like a man.”

She shook her head.  “No George.  How does a man do that?  Does he need…a spine?  A moral compass, perhaps?”

George was slow, but he was catching on to the fact that something wasn’t quite right. 

“You wouldn’t be sassin’ me, now would you, honey?”

Violet pulled herself up to her full height, disgusted with the man.  “Sassin’ you?  Would that be anything like disrespecting you, perhaps?”

George didn’t like the tone of her voice. “Yes.  It would.  And I don’t think I like it.”

“Huh!”  She walked away from him for a moment.  “Perhaps I might respect you a bit more if you stopped stealing from me.”

George’s bluster came up, full throttle.  “Stealing?  I ain’t stolen nothing from you!”

She didn’t believe him.  The look in his eyes told her that he was lying.  “My lunch has been missing about every other day.  Exactly on the days that you pretended to work here.”

He shrugged.  “Lunch,” he puffed.  “That was just your way of taking care of me.”

“And there was twenty dollars missing from the cash register last week.  The day that you worked here alone.”

Again, he shrugged, dismissing the theft.  “What’s twenty dollars here and there between family?”

Violet was getting really angry now.  “First of all, you’re not family. And secondly, it is theft.  No matter how much or how little, you stole from your employer George.”  She said the words calmly. 

He dismissed her words.  “It ain’t theft!  You left me in charge!  If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have taken a bit of money here and there.”

Violet was amazed that he honestly thought that he hadn’t violated the law!  He was standing there admitting to stealing from her and he truly considered that he was entitled to taking cash whenever he wanted to. 

She should have put up cameras in her store a long time ago!  She’d suspected that he’d been stealing money, but she hadn’t wanted to believe it. Her mother had wanted to help this man and had loved him in some way.  Violet had tried!  She’d tried to emulate her mother’s compassion, but she just couldn’t do it!  She hated this man!  She hated him for hurting her mother, for stealing from her, and for all of the times he’d taken her lunch, the selfish bastard. 

“And did you think it was okay to tell the man in my life,” she couldn’t call him her boyfriend, she thought, not sure how their relationship had evolved, “that I was for sale?”  She had to breathe deeply so that she didn’t scream out the accusation. 

“What?” George stammered.  “You’re talking crazy now,” he said and sputtered out a few more sounds. 

“Creek Jones said that you pimped me out for five thousand dollars,” she challenged, watching his features closely. 

George chuckled.  “Is that what he said?”

“Are you denying it?”

“Course I am!” he roared.  “You’re like my little girl!  I wouldn’t sell you to nobody!”

He was lying!  Violet saw the lie in his eyes and in the way his mouth crinkled ever so slightly.  “You didn’t take a five thousand dollar check from Creek last week, payment for services rendered?”

George blustered a bit more.  “Is that what he told you?”  He shook his head in disgust.  “I’m glad I encouraged you to stop seeing that guy then!”

“I didn’t stop seeing him, George,” she replied softly.  Memories of how Creek had tried to coax her out of a life of sexual favors flashed through her mind.  “You went back to him after that first night, didn’t you?  When you realized I was still seeing Creek, you went back, and ordered him to pay you for the other nights he was with me.”  She said the words softly, but only because anything louder might break her. 

George shook his head.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Violet, but I don’t like what you’re implying.”  He huffed a bit more.  “After all I’ve done to take care of you, this is the thanks I get?”

Violet was overwhelmed.  She couldn’t believe all of this.  “Weren’t you going to offer me a share of the money?” she asked, fighting to keep the tears away.  She absolutely would not cry in front of this disgusting man. 

George’s eyes widened.  “You want a share?” he asked, licking his lips in hope.  And then he chuckled.  “I knew you were a good girl, Violet!” and he rubbed his hands together.  “Here’s what we can do.  I’ll go back to that bastard and demand that he pay up.  He knew the terms of each night with you.  I made that very clear to him before that first night.”  He laughed, overjoyed with what he suspected Violet was going to offer.  “We can split the money.  I’ll give you half of everything, but you have to be ready for some of the men I send your way.”

“Half,” she whispered, shocked and disgusted.  “You’ll give me half of everything you earn by selling me off to men?”

His eyes widened and he quickly shook his head.  “Don’t think of it like that.  It isn’t…”

“It is.  You’re pimping me out, George,” she said in barely a whisper.  “And what’s worse, you think I’m stupid enough to accept half while I do all the work.”  Violet actually laughed.  “Oh good grief, just get out of here.”

His mouth went slack.  “You mean you were just kidding?”

Violet waved her hand, so disgusted with the world in general and George in particular.  “Get out.  And if you ever come back, I will have you arrested for stealing.”

His shoulders went up with those words.  “You don’t mean it.  You just need time to think about this.  We could make a lot of money.”

Violet lifted her hand.  “Don’t say another word, George.  Or I’ll call the police right now, and have you arrested for solicitation and theft.”

He bristled for a long moment but Violet heard the deep voice behind her.  “Do you want us to beat him up, Violet?”

Violet spun around, then looked way up as she realized that three very large, very angry-looking men were standing in her store.  How had she not heard the bell jingle? 

“Excuse me?”

Knox stepped closer.  “We spoke to Creek last night, and we came over to talk to you.  But this idiot seems to not believe your threats.  So we’re here to back you up.”  He looked up and down at George’s fat stomach and shorter stature with a sneer.  “We’re all pretty riled and ready to beat someone up.  Should we do the honors since this man insulted your integrity?”

Tucker and Saeger both looked at each other.  Neither of them had ever heard Knox speak so much at one time, but they both agreed with the sentiment and turned back to Violet, nodding that they were all in. 

“You want to beat him up?’ she asked incredulously, almost laughing. 

Knox’s jaw was tight with his fury. 

Saeger stepped closer.  “He insulted you.  You’re a lady and we don’t allow ladies to be abused,” Saeger explained with a deep, growl-like voice.

George actually moved behind Violet as if she might protect him.  But when he touched her, trying to wrap his beefy arm around her waist, she shoved him away.  “Don’t touch me!” she said through clenched teeth.  “I told you to get out and don’t you ever come back here.  If I even see you in Appleton, I guarantee that I’ll inform the police about your activities.”

“I heard you confess,” Kevin said, and the other two employees nodded their heads. 

George huffed and puffed for a moment, looking at Violet, then the three men standing to her left, more than ready to pound him to a pulp.

“I’m leaving!” he shouted, lifting his hands into the air as he rushed towards the door. 

Violet watched him leave, relieved that something had gone right today. 

Slumping down against the wall, she looked around.  “Okay, so everyone knows what that foul man did.  I have no secrets.  Just…please, could we keep this to just the…,” she looked around and rubbed her forehead.  “Just the seven of us?” and then she laughed.  It was hard enough to keep a secret between two people.  But seven?  That was just crazy.  Eventually, someone would talk about what George had done and it would be all over town soon. 

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the three strangers.  “I appreciate your help, damsel that I am, but what are you doing here?”

Tucker stepped forward this time.  “We came to find out if there was any way for you to forgive Creek.”

Violet bowed her head, trying to hide the pain.  Turning back to Kevin, she said, “Why don’t you guys take the rest of the day off?  I’ll handle everything.”

Kevin shrugged.  “We’ll just head back to the shipping area.  There’s too much for you to wrap up by yourself, but we won’t listen.  We’ll respect your privacy.”

And the three of them disappeared.  Violet was grateful for their discretion, but she couldn’t say anything for fear of bursting into tears once again. 

She pressed her lips together and turned to face the three strangers.  “I take it the three of you are friends of Creek?”

“We’re his best friends.  And we know he messed up but…”

“I can handle my own problems,” Creek said from the doorway and he stormed into the shop.  “Go away.”

Violet cringed back, not allowing her eyes to look in Creek’s direction. 

“Want us to beat
him
up?” Knox asked gently, referring to Creek.

Violet couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped.  She had no idea if he’d meant to be funny or if he was serious, but she appreciated the offer.  “No.  I don’t think that violence is a good idea in any situation.”

Tucker leaned closer, a teasing light in his eyes.  “I liked your slap yesterday though.  Perfectly timed!”  He moved back with a chuckle when Creek glared at him. 

“Get out,” Creek commanded again.

The three men turned and formed a wall, protecting Violet.  “Not happening.  Not until you apologize for what you assumed about Violet,” Saeger told him and all three men crossed their arms over their massive chests.  Three mountains and Violet could no longer see Creek.  She muffled her laugh but she felt a hysterical bubble rising up.  It was all so ridiculous.  The past twenty-four hours…no, the past week, had been a visit to hell and all she wanted to do was to travel back in time. 

Creek glared at his friends, his hands curling into fists.  “I’ll take you all on,” he warned them.  “Don’t go there.”

“We’re not leaving Violet alone unless she’s okay with it.”

Knox turned around, looking down at her.  “Do you want to talk to him?”

Violet thought about it for a long moment.  “No.  I don’t.”  She walked to the other side, away from the wall of mountain men.  “Creek, you need to leave.  I don’t want to…” she was going to say something, but the three men moved in front of her.  She almost laughed again.  “Gentlemen, you’re very sweet protecting me like this, but I can…”

“He hurt your feelings, Violet,” Tucker said, and growled as he turned around to glare at Creek again.  “There are very few women in the world that are as sweet and kind as you are, and we’re not letting anyone hurt you.  We decided.”