Page 35 of Stranded with the Billionaire
She’d probably been laughing at him the whole time, thinking about her next headline.
Miraculously, he only had a mild case of frostbite on his feet. Mostly his toes were affected. Jake otherwise was in very good health considering the ordeal that they’d been through. He had two cracked ribs and would have to be careful with them. He had some bruises here and there but was overall okay.
His heart and his ego were significantly bruised.
He was a sucker, Jake thought grimly. She’d lied, forged documents, bribed her way onto his private hired flight, and somehow gotten under his skin with her smiles and good humor over their situation. Sure, she had good humor, Jake supposed sourly, the whole experience was good fodder for her articles. She was probably writing stories about him right now like that one that he’d seen today.
Eligible Bachelor and Stunning Tabloid Writer Still Missing!
The article was a pack of lies, making it seem like the two of them had been having an affair. It painted him as a man who was escaping from his responsibilities to enjoy a weekend away with his mistress. Anger flooded him that he could have been so blind to Sara’s true nature.
Sterling, he reminded himself. Her name was Sterling. She was a tabloid reporter.
Well, he was sick of her writing about his family. Jake wasn’t going to let Dubious do this to them again. Sterling Denver was done, he’d see to that.
Flicking on the light, Jake sat up and grabbed his new cellphone. “Brandon, get me my lawyers.”
Within minutes his PA had roused Jake’s usual team of lawyers. Two hours later, Jake had smoothed out the legalities of what he wanted done and had his team moving forward on a deal that Dubious wouldn’t be able to refuse. He also had his assistant sending out to all the contacts they had in the press and publishing industries.
By the time they were done, Jake was satisfied in his revenge against Sterling. At least, that’s what he told himself as he stretched out again on the hotel bed.
He could have stayed with Dillon. His brother would have been happy to have him, as would his nephews. Jake didn’t get to see them as often as he’d like. He really should make more of an effort to be in their lives. He had yet to get to really know Dillon’s new wife and stepson. Jake would make sure that he took some time to visit even though much of his and Dillon’s time would be concentrated on trying to find out more about the charges being brought against their father and their cousin Michael.
Jake puzzled over Michael’s involvement in the drug smuggling charges. He never would have thought for a moment that Michael would have done something illegal. He was a lawyer. He was now a family man. Then again, the drug smuggling operation was purported to extend just over thirty years ago. Michael would have been in his twenties, younger and more prone to making a bad decision that could see him locked into a bad situation over the years.
It still didn’t make sense to Jake. If Michael was truly involved, he was one cool customer about the whole thing. No one who knew him would have guessed.
Now when his uncle David had been arrested, Jake hadn’t been surprised a bit. David had always been a self-serving bully of a man. Jake would believe that David would do whatever he wanted regardless of the consequences. David gave off an aura of a king who was certain he would never be dethroned, nor did he have to bow to the rules of mere mortals.
It was only through the interference of their mother Rachel, and all the other family that Michael had turned out well. Michael and cousins in turn had influenced Noah and Max to become decent men.
Jake supposed that’s why it didn’t mesh well in his mind. Michael had always been one of the cousins who always took the moral high ground. He had instructed the younger cousins, again and again on doing the right thing, in his own kind and quiet manner. Michael took after his mother with a gentle reprimand and a soft praise.
Had David bullied Michael to become involved in something illegal? Was Michael covering for his father?
From what the papers said, David had agreed to testify against Michael and Jake’s father Robert in return for immunity in the case. How was it that the man who seemed the guiltiest was getting away with the crime?
Uncertainty filled him at the thought of his father Robert. Jake didn’t know why Robert wouldn’t talk to Dillon about what was happening. Robert was willing to speak to Jake and they’d arranged a time.
Had Robert really helped smuggle drugs into the country? Jake didn’t know. He’d always felt that his dad was above reproach. Robert had been his example through life. A hard-working man who was dedicated to his family. For the first time in his life, Jake didn’t have faith in the actions of his father.
It worried him. Not what might happen to the companies, Ramesly Pharma and Ramesly Insurance. Jake was worried what it might do to their families.
Jake looked up at the ceiling and mulled over what a mess life had become.
After a visit to the clinic, Doc Luce declared that it was just as he had originally diagnosed. Sterling’s knee was badly sprained and she would need to stay off of it for a few weeks. She was fitted with a pair of crutches. Sterling thanked the doctor and his staff of one nurse for their help.
The sun was finally shining. Sterling managed to arrange transportation to the nearest airport where she could get a flight back to New York. If everything went smoothly, she might even make it in to work today for an hour. She was looking forward to having it out with Grange about this morning’s article.
Tabloid Star Heartbroken After Jake Ramesly Leaves Her. Injured and left behind in a tiny hillside community, Sterling Denver was heartbroken after her lover callously left her behind as he fled to New York to deal with the continuing family drama.
It was a subpar headline. It made her look foolish and Jake seem unfeeling. The papers had also begun to report that David was free in return for testifying against his son and brother.
The whole thing stank. Sterling wondered why the FBI didn’t seem to recognize that.
Sterling continued to email her contacts and ask for more information regarding the case. A text came back from one of her sources.
Ann in labor at Mercy. Private suite. Doctors hoping to prevent early birth.
