Claire: The Forced Virgin Of The Billionaire

Claire was flabbergasted, “I know no one from my mother’s side.”

“Your Uncle Joe, a man I called Uncle Joe all my life, he died in a car crash. Some said my Uncle staged it over a business dispute. I’ve heard it over the years but never believed it.”

She didn’t say anything.

“Earl told me he flipped on our family and took you because he found out my Uncle had his son Michael killed because Michael was about to expose him for being involved in a meth op. If that’s true, Uncle kept it from me and Dare. Earl said he didn’t wanna hurt me but saw red and wanted back at my Uncle. Castillo made promises, promised to deliver Uncle to Earl for revenge down in Mexico and Castillo chose you as the tool.”

I reached for her water and she passed it to me. I took a swig and continued,

“I hear that my Uncle may have killed your mother alone and I’d never believe it. Your father, zero credibility. But that you remember him taking you and that he picked you for me and that whole your selling-virginity fiasco was all designated and deliberate, and the other s**t that’s unfolding,” I shook my head.

“I have a lot to figure out.”

She blew a long breath out and put a palm over her forehead.

“You okay?” I reached for her. I half expected her to pull away but she didn’t.

She climbed onto my lap and put her head on my shoulder and her arms around the middle of my back.

“Don’t know. Are you?” she asked.

“If I have you, I will be.” I said and she gave me a squeeze.

Claire’s POV

“Tell me about your family,” I said to him, “About your childhood, about your Uncle, about the business.” I suddenly wanted everything on the table.

He leaned back against the headboard and let me settle against him, put his chin on my head.

“My mother died of Cancer. I was just a little kid. Spent a lot of time by her bedside as she was dying and she said a lot of f****d up s**t. s**t a little kid shouldn’t hear. I think it went to her brain before she died.

Father was out running the business with my uncle as his right hand, it was around then that the business started to really flourish. He was raking in money hand over fist and my Ma was in bed dying a slow and painful death. A few months later he married Dare, Tessa, and Luciana’s ma.

The math didn’t give so I figured out later that that she, Annette, had Dare before my Ma died. They showed up and moved in after Ma died; Dare was a toddler and she was pregnant with Tess.

They divorced a couple years later but Uncle kept all the kids. She lives in Italy. Comes by every year but not much of a relationship. I get the impression that’s the way Uncle wants it. Uncle’s third wife died in a car crash. Maybe he killed her, too.

She was a b***h and now I think it wouldn’t surprise me. All the f*****g car crashes, huh? All my life he had such high expectations of me and my brother.

We worked to earn his respect on a continuous basis as we do now for Uncle; it has a short shelf life. He pushes and pushes us and is always testing our loyalty.

I got to a point where I wouldn’t let him push me. I started to show him before he had to push, Uncle didn’t like that. Now I have all this to figure out. If this is who he really is, how do I live with that?

I know we’ve ordered people dead. But they’re enemies, not family, not innocent. I’ve practically run the business the last few years. I handle a lot of the legit stuff and some of the shadier s**t, too, and Dare and I have plans on how to get shot of the shadier stuff because we just don’t need it.

We have money, we have power, and we do well. We know where to focus to boost earnings even more and without the risk, without having to pay people off, without worrying that the house of cards’ll tumble down at any minute.

When Uncle retires, we have a plan, a good one. I know I’m not the dinner date guy, baby, but I’m planning for a better life for us.”

“You are better than the dinner date guy.” I told him. He looked so distraught right now, “You’re real, Azriel. You’re a man with many layers and the fact that you’re looking for the truth even if it’s not what you want to hear? That’s huge.

The dinner date guy probably wouldn’t have rescued me from Mexico, probably wouldn’t have done a lot of the things you’ve done. He was two dimensional. I’m here with you; not him.”

“The s**t I’ve done that’s hurt you. That’s hurt others.” He looked lost, “I’m Azriel Clarke Jr. My father was much worse than my Uncle, it was good he got out the picture sooner than later, he deserved no better.

Maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me.

I’m his son. It’s so f*****g f****d up, baby. He went from being a philanthropist to doing this f****d up s**t. And then following him, my Uncle is now hiding behind the charity, the talk about family, about loyalty.”

I threw my arms around him and squeezed. I had an ache spread through me, an aching desire to help him. His pain was palpable.

“Will you tell me about the necklace?” I whispered.