Relentless: A Royal Secret Baby Romance (The Alabaster Club) Read online

  Relentless

  A Royal Secret Baby Romance (The Alabaster Club)

  Athena Braveheart

  Copyright © 2018 by Athena Braveheart

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  About The Author

  Chapter 1

  “We need you to make us proud, son. This is the first time I’m sending you over there with the faith you’re going to take care of things as I would, and I expect you to live up to that expectation.” Harold Carrington looked at his son seated across from him in the limo.

  “I know, I know, and I’m going to. I just don’t see why we have to handle this in person. And if we do, why not send one of the ambassadors to do it?” Royce asked, looking up from his phone and making eye contact with his father.

  “Because you are royalty, and it’s time you started acting like it. You’ll have William with you, but he’ll only be there to advise. You aren’t going to push this off on him,” Kathrine, his mother, replied. “As the next Duke of Luxembourg, you’re going to have to step out into the public and do business with hundreds of people, whether you like it or not.”

  “Oh, I like stepping into the public’s eye, but not in these useless situations,” Royce muttered. He turned his attention back to his phone, ignoring his parents’ lecture. They were on their way to the private landing strip, and soon he would be on the private jet with his assistant and personal friend, William.

  “Make us proud,” his father reminded him again as he stepped out of the car.

  Royce nodded and held up his hand to show he’d heard, but he didn’t turn back around. He walked quickly to board the plane, eager to get out of the hot sun and away from his overly-critical parents. His short, dark hair matched the dark brown of his sunglasses, complementing his toned, tan body.

  At thirty years old, the young duke was named one of the most attractive men in the world, a fact no one could deny once seeing him. Women practically threw themselves at him without him having to even try, and when he did put forth the effort, they melted like putty in his hands.

  “There you are. I thought you were going to be late,” William said, glancing at his watch as Royce stepped into the cabin. William was his personal advisor, always traveling with him and sitting in on meetings. Though he was only ten years older than Royce, his no-nonsense attitude made him appear much older.

  “You know my parents. Do you really think they would let me be even a second late to something like this? The sooner I get on the plane, the sooner we’re going to be in America to make connections and deals, and that’s all they care about.” He rolled his eyes as he threw himself into one of the seats. He hated meetings like this, and he wasn’t afraid to show it to the rest of the staff around him.

  “Cheer up. It’s only going to be part of the trip. You know you’re going to have plenty of time to throw some fun in along the way. And American women can’t resist the European accent,” William said with a wink as he poured them each a glass of brandy.

  “Not that I need more help getting girls in bed,” Royce retorted.

  “I can use all the help I can get, though I’m probably going to be caught up with paperwork most of the time we’re there,” William replied with a sigh.

  “Come on, William, you know you can take a few hours off to yourself if you want. We are going to be in the States, after all. It’s time to cut loose and have some fun.” Royce put his hands behind his head as he spoke, looking up at the ceiling with a mischievous grin on his face.

  “Fun comes when the work is done. You might be born into the family, but I only get my paycheck from them. I can’t screw this up or you know I’m going to be looking for a new job within a week.” William flipped through one of the files on the table beside him as he sipped his brandy. “It looks like you and I are going to be meeting with members of the Alabaster Club.”

  “Whatever the hell that is,” Royce said as he stretched his legs out in front of him. “You know how I feel about those kinds of meetings. Rich and famous people thinking they are richer and even more famous than they are. Nothing but a bunch of pompous scum with more money than they ought to be allowed to have.”

  William nodded in agreement. Since he had been to most of the meetings Royce had also attended, he knew exactly what his friend and employer was talking about.

  “Perhaps some European influence will be what they need to bring them back down to earth,” he said as he looked up from the file. Royce snorted and took another drink.

  “They’re going to be even more arrogant with me there. They’re going to have to impress the Duke from Luxembourg, after all.” He looked out the window as the plane took to the skies. “We don’t have to make a big deal out of the fact I’m not technically a duke yet.”

  “I didn’t plan on it. The bigger the impression we can make with them, the better. Your father has made it clear that he has high hopes for this meeting, and I would hate for either one of us to disappoint him.” William slapped the files closed and sat back in his seat, looking out his own window at the clouds beneath them.

  “Yeah, we sure wouldn’t want that,” Royce muttered sarcastically as he finished his drink. He was tired of always being under his father’s thumb, and he couldn’t wait for the day he would finally get to call his own shots as duke.

  “Cheer up. For the next few days you’ll be the duke of the committee, and we your servants,” William said in jest with a small smile.

  Royce snorted again. “You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to it.”

  Chapter 2

  “Yes, Ma’am, and if that is all I can help you with today, I’ll print you a receipt for your records,” Paige said with a smile. The older woman looked up at her with a confused look on her face, and Paige fought the annoyed feeling that rose up in her chest. Mrs. Patmore was a regular at Comstock Bank, and it was always the same guessing game helping the old woman with her transactions.

  But Paige knew how to be nice to all her customers, and she walked the old woman through the steps once again, helping her get to the right place in the system.

  “Yes, I think that’s all I’m going to need from you, thank you, dear,” Mrs. Patmore replied. She took the receipt and headed for the door, walking slowly with her cane.

  “Next!” Paige called out as she scanned the lobby. There were still several people in line, and none of the tellers were moving very quickly. An agitated young man stepped forward, shaking his head in irritation.

  “Old people really need to learn how to keep
up with the times. Sorry, but it’s not the eighteen hundreds anymore, grandma. Get a computer and take care of your shit at home,” he muttered as he set his card on the counter. He looked at her expectantly, as if to get her consensus, but when she looked at him wordlessly, he moved on. “I need to make a withdrawal.”

  “How much?” Paige asked. She was struck with how rude the man was, but she kept her face and tone neutral. It wasn’t her place. He told her two thousand dollars, and she refrained from shaking her head when she saw the amount in his account.

  “I’ve got a very important meeting with the strip club tonight,” he said with a grin as she packed the money into an envelope.

  “Well, have a good one,” Paige replied. She shook her head as soon as he was gone. There were so many people in the world who would use the money for better things, but again, she knew it wasn’t her place to say. It was the man’s money and he could do what he pleased with it.

  “I’m going on lunch,” Paige said to the teller next to her. She was given a look, but she had long since learned to ignore it. If she didn’t go on lunch when it was her turn, she wasn’t going to get one, and she would be starving all afternoon.

  Besides that, she had a meeting with Candy, her best friend. With their busy schedules, it was hard for them to find time to meet, so she didn’t want to bail out if there was any way she could avoid it. She slipped her cardigan off and rolled up the sleeves of her button-down shirt as she stepped into the sun and walked to her car. Working at a bank certainly had its perks, but wearing the customary button-down and dress slacks was not the most comfortable attire.

  As a curvy, beautiful woman, Paige loved to accentuate her body. She was confident and knew how to dress well, and there was nothing that could stop her when she was out in the real world. She got into her car and quickly drove down to Starsky’s, eager to meet up with Candy with the thirty minutes she had.

  I’m here, where are you? she texted.

  Omg I am SO sorry I didn’t get the chance to tell you! I am so slammed at work there is no way I’m going to get a chance to sit down for lunch, but could you please, please, please bring me something? I’m starving! Candy’s text came almost immediately, and Paige’s heart sank.

  She had been looking forward to their lunch date all week, and now she wasn’t going to get to see her friend. At least, not for very long. She didn’t mind stopping by with a sandwich, but what she really wanted to do was sit down and talk for a while. It had been so long since they had the chance to catch up with each other, and it only seemed like it was going to be longer until they were able to meet again.

  Sure, I’ll bring a turkey wrap. She hit send and walked into the restaurant, trying not to let the bad news ruin her day. She was already having a stressful morning at work and knew she could have used a good vent session with her friend. But there was no other option. When Candy said that she had to work through lunch, she had to work and there was nothing Paige could do about it.

  When she finally arrived at Candy’s work, she sat for a moment in the car before heading toward the building. Her friend worked at a high end restaurant, one that wealthy men frequented, and it wasn’t Paige’s favorite place in the world. Though it wasn’t exactly a club, she knew what kind of interactions took place there in the evenings and weekends and the degrading situations female employees were placed in just to get big tips.

  She’d never speak out against the job for the sake of her friend, but she had a difficult time respecting a job like that when she herself was a bank teller.

  “Oh, you are a doll!” Candy gushed. She had been standing outside with a cigarette and walked over when Paige parked. “So sorry that I couldn’t meet up with you, but you know how Jethro is when things aren’t going his way.”

  “I know, and it’s okay. Let’s just plan on doing something soon,” Paige replied, squeezing her arm. She hid her disappointment well, not wanting Candy to feel worse than she already did.

  “I’m going to make it up to you. I have a surprise,” Candy said cheerfully, and Paige looked at her with raised eyebrows.

  “What kind of surprise?” she asked.

  “How would you like a job tonight? Because I got you a good one!” Candy replied triumphantly. Paige instantly felt the irritation rise in her chest, but she didn’t say anything. Candy knew how she felt about filling in at the restaurant, but there were times when Paige needed the extra money.

  “Jethro’s got some party coming up tonight with these rich men in the event room, and he told me to find anyone I could to serve. I probably won’t be able to see you since I’ll be working in the main dining area, but it’ll be a great way to make some extra money. Come on, what do you say?” Candy gave Paige her most pleading look, and Paige sighed.

  “Oh, alright, but I’m doing this for you, not for the job. You know how I hate how those drunk bastards act, and I’m not too enthused about subjecting myself to their whims,” Paige said, shaking her head.

  “Thanks, you’re a doll!” Candy said again. She gave Paige a quick hug, then turned to go. “I’ve got to get back inside, but I’ll talk to you later, yeah? Text me when you get off work and I’ll tell you when to be here.”

  She didn’t wait for Paige to respond. Instead, she turned and walked quickly back inside, devouring her sandwich along the way. Paige shook her head once more. She didn’t know why she let herself get talked into such things, but there was no turning back now.

  She couldn’t flake on her best friend even though Candy just did. Plus, it would be nice to have some extra cash in her pocket.

  But she certainly wasn’t looking forward to the night.

  Chapter 3

  The sight of limousines and sound of loud jazz music made Paige sigh as she got out of her car. She had spent the two hours she had after work searching the internet for any sort of help on what to wear. She searched for both the Alabaster Club as well as rich cocktail parties, and eventually settled on a tight black dress that hugged all her curves in all the right places.

  Candy had texted her when she got off work, telling her that the people coming in were members of the Alabaster Club, which Paige had never heard about before. Now that she knew just a bit about them, she was nervous walking into a place where she would be waiting on some of the most powerful men in the world.

  I don’t know if I can do this—they’re all so intimidating! she had texted Candy.

  They’re billionaires—nab yourself one tonight and get me one, too! Candy replied quickly. It always amazed Paige how quickly Candy could text back when she was at work, but she didn’t have the freedom to leave when she wanted.

  Paige squared her shoulders as she walked up to the door.

  “Name?” the bouncer asked.

  “Oh, no, I’m not on the guest list. I’m here to work. I’m waitressing tonight,” she replied quickly. He looked her over from head to toe, and she began to feel self-conscious in her outfit.

  “The wait staff is already here,” he said as he crossed his arms.

  “I know, but they’ve asked for extra help tonight with the club coming in,” she replied.

  “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the man replied.

  “What’s going on here?” Jethro, the owner of the building, walked up to Paige and the bouncer.

  “I’m here to help with the wait staff. Candy said that you were looking for more help?” Paige asked with a tight tone to her voice. She thought Candy had coordinated all of this with him already.

  “Oh, yes, she had mentioned that. Come on in!” Jethro said cheerfully. Paige refrained from giving the bouncer a smug look as she pushed past him. There was no need to cause drama this early in the evening.

  “You’re going to be waiting tables for the first hour, then you’ll be on the floor with a tray. I’m sure you can handle that?” Jethro asked, and Paige quickly nodded.

  “I was a waitress back in the day so—” she began, but he interrupted her.

 
“Good. You’re going to be waiting mostly champagne. I don’t want to see a single empty glass on any table, do you understand?” he asked. She nodded. “Also, make sure that anyone walking about the room has a drink in his hand. No one is going to have to ask for anything, and that better be clear!”

  “It is,” she replied. He gave her one more look and left, giving Paige the chance to look around the room as she walked over to the bar. She had never been in the special event room of the Aurora, and she had to admit it was much more beautiful than she thought it would be. There were chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, crystal statues in the corners, and black tables set over dark cedar legs.

  It was the most beautiful room she had ever been in, and she suddenly found herself having more respect for the women who worked there.

  “You made it!” Candy’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she smiled at her friend.

  “Yes, barely. I thought we wouldn’t be seeing each other tonight!” Paige said in surprise.

  “I’ve got to head back soon, but I just wanted to say hi. I overheard Jethro talking to you. Here, take this and start walking around the room. All you have to do is hand it to the people who don’t have drinks, and exchange the empty glasses on the table with fresh ones. Always take away the old and bring new, and just drop them off here. We have dishwashers who are always going to make sure you have clean glasses waiting for you, and make sure, no matter what, you don’t drop anything!” Candy smiled and Paige felt nerves build up in her body.