Billionaires in New York Boxed Set: Billionaires in the City Books 1-3 by Laura Burton (learn to read books .TXT) 📕

phone,” he shot Sam a glare, “her idiot ex-boyfriend threw a brick at my head.”

Anthony jumped to his feet so fast, he dropped his glass. It shattered on the marble floor, though none of the gentlemen paid any attention.

“Who threw a brick at you?” he asked.

Edward frowned. Surely, her cousin would have known about Calvin.

“Is this also who you believe tampered with the brakes of your car?” Charles asked evenly.

“My car,” Sam corrected. Charles blinked slowly and gave Sam a death stare. Sam backed down and glanced apologetically at David, who gave a him a steady look.

Anthony looked at the men in the room one by one.

“Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” he said, sounding desperate. Edward realized that Anthony was just looking out for his family. Though, sadly, he seemed to know very little.

“You seriously don’t know about Calvin?”

“Of course, I know Calvin, I’ve met him a couple of times. He’s a nice guy.”

“So, you know he was dating your cousin?” Edward asked, eyeing him carefully. Anthony shrugged.

“It wasn’t serious, they only dated for a couple of months and then Catherine broke it off before she went on tour.”

Edward pulled out the crumpled note from the pocket of his jeans and handed it to Anthony.

“Do you still think he’s a nice guy?”

Anthony unfolded the note and looked at Edward with repulsion.

“What is this?”

“That note, was attached to the brick that was thrown at my head.” Edward finished his drink and slammed the glass on the coffee table for dramatic effect.

David walked over and leaned in to read the paper. Then he exchanged a worried look with Charles.

“I don’t understand, I thought you said it wasn’t serious. Why would this guy want Edward dead?” David asked Anthony, who shrugged. Edward scrutinized Anthony’s expression. He genuinely appeared to have no idea about Calvin’s obsession with Catherine.

“Funny, here I was thinking you and Calvin were conspiring against me,” he said with a light laugh. Anthony looked affronted.

“How dare you…”

“Well, you did overreact when you found out he was dating your cousin.” Sam wagged a finger at him as he spoke. Anthony shook his head and staggered back, glass crunching beneath his shoes.

“I was having a rough night,” he said, “I had too much to drink and… Edward, I’m sorry. I would never want you dead.”

“Enough,” Charles said with a hand raised. He continued to peer outside in thought.

“The question is, what do we do now? Calvin sounds like an emotionally unstable, dangerous individual.” He turned to look at Edward. “I know you want to hunt him down, guns blazing, but we need to be systematic.”

The men gathered round Charles and formed a circle. Edward glanced at them all. Eyes intense, shoulders rounded and nodding resolutely. He grinned, sensing that something epic was about to go down.

“I’m guessing you have a plan,” he asked Charles, whose lips curled upwards at the sides.

“Listen carefully,” he said.

Chapter Nineteen

Sanctuary

Catherine sipped her hot chocolate and hummed. It was smooth and creamy, not lumpy and bitter like the ones she would make.

“Thanks dad,” she said with a contented sigh. Catherine’s father made the best hot chocolate. It was his opinion that a bad day could always be fixed with a warm drink and some good company. Luckily for Catherine, the two often went hand in hand whenever she came to visit her parents.

“It sounds like you’ve been busy with your tour. We’re happy to see you back, pumpkin,” he said kindly. Catherine nodded, staring at the burning fire. It seemed like an age had passed since she was on tour. Yet, in reality, it had only been a couple of weeks.

“Johnny, do you need me to get anything for you while we’re out?” Catherine’s mother called from down the hall.

“No, I’m fine,” Johnny said simply as he swaggered to his favorite armchair by the fire and beamed at Catherine. “I’m glad you’re here Cathy. We can play monopoly like old times.”

“Sounds fun,” Catherine said, a little too dully to sound genuine. She met her father’s piercing eyes as he studied her face with concern.

“Is there anything you want to talk about?” he asked. Catherine cast her eyes to the floor. She had not told them about the events that had taken place earlier. When she turned up, she simply announced she was planning to stay over for a few days to get a break from the city and have some family time.

It was fortunate that Catherine’s family did not look at the news. In fact, they actively avoided it. Johnny’s intense compassion for others meant that the watching would often trouble him.

“It’s all fake news anyway,” her mother would rant. “Designed to oppress and depress, not inspire and uplift.”

If Catherine told her family what had happened with Calvin; the threat, cutting the brake lines on Edward’s car, giving a statement at the police station… it would have been too upsetting for them. So, she fashioned an innocent smile and looked back at her father with a shrug.

“No,” she said in a high voice. Her father looked less than convinced, but before he could press her on it, her mother entered the room.

“Ready?” he said to her. She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders, pulled out her thick, bouncy curls from underneath and beamed at the room, her topaz eyes glistening.

“Look at this, both of my babies home. I wish we didn’t have to leave you.”

Catherine’s father stood up and held out his arm for her. She slinked her hand through and linked with him.

“It’s not every day we can celebrate our wedding anniversary,” he said, planting a loving kiss on her lips. Catherine’s mother grinned at him, her face flushing with color. Catherine stared at the happy couple with awe. Even after twenty-eight years of marriage, they still behaved like they were dating.

“We’ll be fine, Johnny is about to destroy me at a game of monopoly,” Catherine waved a hand as she watched Johnny set up the board game.

“Yes, I am,” he said as he