What Will Be (Shades of Greene - Vol. 4): Shades of Greene, #4

By Ana Vela

Volume 4 of the Shades of Greene series!

In the final installment of the Greene's Riches saga, Alexis finds herself in several delicate situations. Her life and her love will depend on split-second decisions, and she'll only have one chance to try and make everything right.

After a strange twist of fate and a dangerous blast from the past leaves everything up in the air, Alexis must decide whether or not she trusts Richard enough to give him everything that he secretly desires...no matter how scary or sexy it seems!

Find out what happens to Alexis and Richard in the final installment of the Shades of Greene saga!

Note: Parts of Shades of Greene were previously published as Greene’s Riches.

Also includes Sneak Peeks at some upcoming novels!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roja Publishing
• Release date: Nov 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781540106841

Book preview

Volume 4 of the Shades of Greene series!

In the final installment of the Greene's Riches saga, Alexis finds herself in several delicate situations. Her life and her love will depend on split-second decisions, and she'll only have one chance to try and make everything right.

After a strange twist of fate and a dangerous blast from the past leaves everything up in the air, Alexis must decide whether or not she trusts Richard enough to give him everything that he secretly desires...no matter how scary or sexy it seems!

Find out what happens to Alexis and Richard in the final installment of the Shades of Greene saga!

Note: Parts of Shades of Greene were previously published as Greene’s Riches.

Also includes Sneak Peeks at some upcoming novels!

~ Volume Four ~

Held In Love

Alexis squirmed in the backseat; her legs and arms were tied up and she could hardly move an inch. She tried to scream but the gag in her mouth kept her voice down in her throat. She narrowed her eyes at her kidnapper, the man that she had once thought that she loved, Brandon. She wondered why he hadn’t put a blindfold over her eyes, but since she couldn’t ask, she used her imagination.

Maybe he wanted her to see where he was taking her. He thought that they belonged together, after all, that she was his soul mate, so in a twisted way, she thought that it made sense. Then again, maybe he had been moving too fast and just forgot to blindfold her in the heat of the moment; this option made her worry because, when he realized his mistake, who knew what he would do to her. When they were together there had been a few signs that he was mentally unstable but Alexis had always rationalized it away. She never knew he was capable of something this terrible.

You know, Sweetheart, I cannot wait for us to be married. It would be great if you got pregnant the night of our wedding but, if not, we can still have fun trying. Brandon turned around and smiled at her. There was something off about his smile; no longer did it fill her with warmth, the way that it had before. It was almost as if someone else had taken over his body, yet Alexis knew that wasn’t the case.

I want one boy and one girl, but not at the same time. No, twins would be horrible. I want you to be able to get some sleep, and with two babies at once, you would be awake all the time. I can’t have a wife with bags under her eyes. No way. The other thing that we need to talk about, of course, is that you have to give up this career of yours. No, I don’t want to hear about how successful you are, how great at your job you are. None of that. I am the man and I will provide for my family.

Alexis struggled to say something, but the gag in her mouth kept the words inside of her. She closed her eyes and prayed that her boyfriend, the man that she hoped she would one day marry, Richard Greene, would somehow find her. If ever she felt like a damsel in distress, it was sitting in this backseat, moving towards whatever destiny Brandon had in mind for her. Under normal circumstances she would have fought back. She would at least try to save herself. But in this case, it didn’t seem like her best option. Brandon was totally unhinged and unpredictable and she knew that she would need help getting out of this.

It’s just not right for a woman to work, you know. I know that you buy into all of that feminist bullshit, but no wife of mine is going to work. No way; a woman’s place is in the kitchen, making dinner for me and my kids. I know; you’re surprised. I know I never told you that before but that’s because you would never have married me if you knew that’s how I really felt at that time. But now that you have gotten your wild oats sewn and you want to settle down, now I can be honest with you. Now we can have a real relationship and stop with all the equality crap. But, listen to me getting ahead of myself. No need to worry about any of that right now. I love you and you love me. That’s all that matters to me in this moment.

Alexis looked out the window and prayed that someone was going to save her. She had tried to call Richard just before she was bound and gagged by her ex-boyfriend, but he never answered her call. Her heart sank when she realized that he probably hadn’t answered his phone when he saw that it was her calling. She had, after all, stormed out of their new house in anger; they had an argument that she now realized didn’t need to happen. It always seemed to happen this way. She got bitterly angry at whomever she was with and then something bad happened that made her realize that she actually needed him. This time though, she thought to herself, this time it might be too late for her. She might have pushed Richard away forever this time. Even if she hadn’t, she figured that Brandon would end up killing her after all of this.

I know that you are scared right now, but there is no reason to be. I mean, after all that we have been through, you should know that I love you and only want what’s best for you, Brandon rambled on. His eyes stayed on the road; Alexis almost wished that he would look back at her and give her some kind of sign that he wasn’t going to hurt her, that he hadn’t completely gone off the deep end. Even the tone of his voice was cold, something that was not usual for him.

Now that you have gotten that whole ‘sleeping around’ thing out of your system, we will be fine. God, I hope that man didn’t get you pregnant. No, of course he didn’t. And now you will be the perfect wife and mother. Although, I suppose you being pregnant with his baby wouldn’t be the worst thing; we could probably get some bucks out of him that way. Obviously he wouldn’t want to have a baby with you, not when he can have any one of those rich broads he knows. No, he’ll be happy to pay us, just to make us go away.

Out of nowhere, a white sports car cut in front of the car that Alexis and Brandon were travelling in, causing him to slam on the brakes and release a string of profane words. He swerved the car into another lane, throwing her around the backseat. Alexis tried to right herself and, looking over at the driver of the other car, a giant wave of hope swept through her. The person driving the car was her best friend and confidant, Johnny Penn. Somehow he had known that she was in trouble and was trying to rescue her. Johnny’s eyes caught hers and he smiled; for the first time, Alexis let out a long breath and felt slightly more hopeful.

Brandon interrupted this as irritation, saying, I know, sweetheart, there are crazy drivers out right now. That’s why I’m here to protect you. I have no idea what this idiot is doing but he is obviously drunk. I should call the police and have the dumbass arrested. For all he knows, you are pregnant and he is driving like an idiot and putting our baby’s life at risk too.

Johnny sped up and maneuvered his car in front of Brandon’s; he hit his brakes right away. Brandon spun the steering wheel to the left and the car moved accordingly. Alexis was thrown to the other side of the car, hitting her head on the door. Instinctively she tried to move her hand to her head but since she was tied up, it ended in more frustration for her. Her breathing was becoming heavier, yet she knew that she needed to stay calm and keep everything as even keeled as she possibly could.

I’m gonna take an exit to get away from this ass. I know, I know. You hate it when I swear but the truth is, baby, he is putting our lives in danger. That is the only reason that I am cursing like I am. Please forgive me. Our love is strong enough to survive this and anything else that is thrown at us. I mean look: you ran off to London and seduced some dumb billionaire and yet, here we are. And soon we will be married. Soon we will start the lives that we were meant to lead.

Brandon came to a stop at a red light. Alexis fought the urge to swivel her head around and see if Johnny had somehow managed to follow them. In a way she hoped that he hadn’t. With Brandon being so far removed from reality, there was no telling what he would do to Johnny or her. She caught sight of Johnny’s car, just coming into view.

Damn it! Why is that idiot still following us? That’s it. I’m going to call the cops. Something has to be done about this.

Alexis allowed a bit of hope to fill her. Maybe he wouldn’t see the flaw in his plan, she reasoned. In his mind he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was just transporting his fiancée to their new home. Of course, Alexis reasoned, the New York Police Department would not see it that way, but Brandon would rationalize it as best as he could. Her slight hopes were soon dashed, however.

You know what, the cops won’t do anything. Why would they? No, I’ll take care of this myself. I mean, I don’t know what our taxes are going to but the police don’t do anything except put innocent men in jail. My friend Zach was arrested for no reason at all. Sometimes I wish that we could go back to the 1950’s when things were great. That’s what we should work on with our new family.

Alexis felt the fear flood her body as Brandon produced a gun from the glove compartment. He held it up to show her, as if it were a prize. He rolled down the window; the cold air blasted Alexis, and he stuck the gun out of the window, waving it around, trying to act threatening. When the first shot was fired, all Alexis could do was close her eyes and pray that her friend was all right. She didn’t dare turn around and look at the other car or show any emotion, for fear that she would be tipping her captor off that she knew the other person. ‘If Brandon knew that she knew Johnny, he would become even more paranoid and delusional’, she thought.

Damn. That shot missed him completely. Well, maybe it’s for the best. I mean, I don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of him following us and driving like an asshole. He needs....

Before Brandon could finish his thought, the car lurched forward and there was the sound of metal crunching.

What the hell! He purposely hit me! That’s it. Now the asshole has gone too far. He’s putting my wife in danger. Now I have to take care of things the way a man would, the way that idiot that you slept with before I reclaimed you did. I have to go kick his ass.

No! Don’t! Alexis tried to scream, forgetting that there was a ball gag shoved in her mouth. It came out gurgled, and Brandon took it as a sign of her approval. He pulled the car to the side of the road, and slipped the gun into the waist of his jeans. She struggled to move, to loosen the ropes but they were tied too tight. She was stuck. It was hopeless. She looked at him; she prayed that he could see the pleading in her eyes. Brandon pulled himself over the seat and kissed her on the forehead.

No worries, baby, our wedding is still going to happen. It’s just that I need to show this madman who is in charge. He needs to respect that I am the king of my castle, and that castle is my car when you and I are in it. He had no right to drive like a fool. Putting your life in danger like that. It’s unacceptable.

After he finished his rant, Brandon was out of the car and heading towards Johnny. Tears filled Alexis’s eyes as she realized that her friend had put his life in danger to save her and now there was no way that she could help him. Then she heard Brandon yell the words that would forever etch themselves in her memory: Son of a bitch! You are just another one of my whore’s men! Didn’t you have your way with her? What are you doing here?

Alexis strained to hear what else was being said but the voices were muffled. Out of the hidden voices, a shot was fired, and she closed her eyes, trying to hold the tears in. Johnny was in this position because of her, because he was trying to rescue her. She felt lost. She heard the trunk open behind her and once again she could hear Brandon.

Here’s some rope. This will have to do. I hope that Alexis isn’t pregnant with your baby because she will not be keeping it. She is my wife, and she will bear my children, not yours. I allowed her to go through this little phase because I thought she was smart enough to realize that I am her destiny but no, she always had to have things her way. So be it. She needed me to force her to see what was in front of her face and what she wanted all along. It’s fine but now, I will need to get rid of you, and, as a matter of fact, I’d like to get rid of the other one that she was sleeping with because I don’t want either of you to be a memory of this period for her. She’s fragile and very easily persuaded to do things that she wouldn’t normally do. It’s part of the reason that I love her.

Memories flooded into Alexis’s memory. She hadn’t realized how much the breakup had affected him. His grip on reality had obviously been very loose; she should have noticed it when he had followed her to London. Yet somehow his gesture had seemed very romantic, if misguided, to her back then. There had even been a point when she had thought about taking him back but then Richard had come through for her, the way that he had during every phase of their relationship. She took in a deep breath and let the thoughts of both of the men race through her head.

Suddenly the car door opened and Johnny was shoved into the backseat with her. They exchanged worried looks that Brandon noticed. He shook his head at them, slammed the door shut, and then got into the driver’s seat. He gunned the engine and the car took off, throwing Alexis and Johnny back and forth across the seat. Brandon grunted when he looked back, saying, Can’t you two keep your hands off of each other? I mean really, you’re going to fool around right in front of my face? Shows how disrespectful you both are. Once we get to my cabin in the woods, you are both going to pay the price.

Soon the car was back on the highway and Alexis decided that she needed to accept her fate. There was no way that she and Johnny would be able to escape from this, at least not while they were both tied up. Brandon had a distinct advantage with his hostages and everyone in the car knew it. He didn’t even bother to hide the gun; instead it lay on the console that sat between the two front seats. Alexis lost all hope and her spirits had never been lower.

Brandon turned the car, very suddenly, to the left and back on to the freeway. Alexis felt like a deflated balloon; there was no way that anyone would be able to help them now. She tried to reason with herself, tried to convince herself that she and Johnny could come up with a solution to get out of this situation but something in her gut told her that this was the end for them. She rested her head against the door and let the blackness take her away.

After what seemed like hours to her, Alexis woke up and discovered that the car was flying past trees as it shot over a gravel road. At first she was not distressed, until she realized that they were in the woods, and not driving past them. When the car pulled to a stop, Brandon finally broke the silence that had enveloped the car.

You know, Alexis, everything that is about to happen is a result of the choices that you have made. You could have had a happy life with me but no. You had to go and slut it up like a common tramp. I loved you. I love you still, damn it. But it has become clear to me that you are not the kind of woman who deserves to have my name. Yet, somehow, it would kill me to see you with another man, especially a weasel like this one. What am I going to do with you...

He pointed the gun over at Johnny, hatred filling his eyes. His finger played with the trigger, his lips snarled in anger. Alexis looked between her friend and her ex-boyfriend and wished that the ball gag wasn’t in her mouth. She wanted to set the record straight, so that Johnny would be able to live another day. She wanted to talk her way out of this, or at least try to reason with him. Brandon noticed the panicked look in her eyes.

Why him, huh? The other guy I can understand, what with the money and all. But this jackass didn’t even admit to sleeping with you. He kept insisting that he was gay. Like being gay was better than sleeping with such a beautiful woman. Well, whatever, it doesn’t matter now. You both are going to pay the price for making me look like a fool. I mean, there is nothing that can be said or done. I can’t have a slut for a wife, and I can’t have you out there with some other guy. Nope, can’t have that at all. Both of you must die. It would be better if you killed your lover but I know you won’t. You don’t have it in you, so instead you’ll watch as I kill him and then feel your own life drain out of you.

Brandon trained the gun on Johnny, his face devoid of any emotion. Even his hand was steady as he extended it out, his fingers hugging the trigger. Alexis tried to yell but the ball gag stopped any solid noise from escaping. With her legs and arms tied together, she was powerless to save her friend, or to talk Brandon out of shooting. He turned his head towards Alexis, his lip curled into a sneer.

I suppose if you could talk, you would try and convince me not to kill him. Let me tell you something, though. This man deserves to die, just as much as you do. The thing is, I want you to watch him die. I want you to know what it feels like to have someone that you love torn away from you. I mean, when you broke up with me, everyone said you just needed a little bit of time. They told me that you would come back to me, that the love that we shared was too good to give up on. I believed them, stupid as it was. The truth is, and I know this for a fact now, you were never coming back to me. You really wanted to be a single woman until that goddamned billionaire showed up in your life. Now you don’t love me. Now you think that you’re just gonna run off and buy a house with this man and live a life and act like I never existed.

She could never pretend that you didn’t exist, Brandon.

Everyone swiveled their head towards the voice. It was Richard. Alexis let out a deep sigh of relief; a million thoughts came to her head but overall she was so happy that once again her love had come to her rescue. Out of all the thoughts racing around her mind, she knew that only one mattered: Richard loved her and she loved him.

Richard continued, It’s because of you that we met, after all. I know that it’s painful that she left you. I can only imagine how I would feel if she broke up with me. But at the end of the day, the thing is, she chose to be with me and not with you. And that’s just something that you’re going to have to live with. Or not.

As he spoke, Richard raised his own gun and trained it at Brandon. Slowly Brandon turned his gun towards his rival. The men stared at each other as Alexis and Johnny’s eyes bounced between the two. Brandon remained calm; his voice was steady as he spoke.

"It’s funny that you think that she loves you. Alexandra doesn’t know how to love anybody but herself. I thought at one time that maybe she loved me but she proved to me that it was a foolish thought. See, this is her M.O.; she makes you think that she loves you, even leads you on to think that she wants to spend the rest of her life with you but