Reese Book 3 War & Piece Chronicles Read online

  Reese

  Book Three of The War & Piece Chronicles

  by

  Cory Cyr

  Reese (Book 3 War & Piece Chronicles) Copyright © 2019 CORY CYR

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given way to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Published by: ©Cory Cyr 2019

  Cover design by: Robin Harper 2019 © Wicked by Design

  Front Cover Photographer: © Wander Aguiar Photography

  Cover Model: Andrew Biernat

  Back Cover/Photography: © Deposit Photo

  Edited by: Cassie McCown

  Formatting: Sharon Kay

  Copyright 2019 by Cory Cyr

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Other Books by Cory Cyr

  Chapter One

  Reese

  “Is there any particular reason you’re not wearing pants?” Kai asked, his tone one of amusement.

  “I was busy. Besides, you never liked anyone just barging into your office, so this is what you get,” I replied, grabbing my coffee cup. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

  “Irrelevant and entirely too early in the day to be seeing your junk. At least not before I’ve had coffee.” Kai tossed me my clothing, which was folded neatly across the sofa.

  I quickly pulled on my underwear and slacks. “What do you want anyway?”

  “Just wanted to remind you about the Skype call from Jasper. I’m also quite curious as to what was going on before I so rudely interrupted your tryst.”

  “If you must know, I’m borrowing from Jasper’s sex book. I’ve been seeing someone from payroll. You just missed her,” I answered, thrusting my hand through my hair, then handing Kai a mug of hot brew.

  “I thought we’d decided not to screw employees—”

  I wagged my finger in front of his face. “Or clients. I’ve stayed away from every one of our gym employees, but I’m working my way through our clerical staff,” I admitted, taking a sip of coffee. “Quite frankly, I had to do something. I have needs and one of those is to get laid, so I chose Cameron, who happens to be willing and doesn’t mind sucking my cock before she has her morning Danish. What the hell, Kai? It’s been almost two fucking years, and I still have major anxiety that if I leave and go to the mainland, Harriet the Hun will choose that particular time to fucking show up. I’m beginning to think she isn’t ever planning to materialize and her threats were only a ploy to keep me in line.”

  “Aren’t you a little old for Cameron? She’s what, barely nineteen?” Kai stopped to swallow some coffee. “I thought you liked them more mature.”

  I sat in my chair and put my bare feet up on the desk. “Well, evidently, I can’t get anywhere with women who are older, so I thought I’d try someone younger. The girl has stamina.”

  “She’s nine years younger,” Kai commented as he shook his head.

  “Yeah, and your wife is eleven years older, so fuck off.”

  I had tried romancing Tegan when she came to VIP as a weight loss client. My attempts failed miserably, and she ended up with Kai. They had a daughter and were married. I’d also pursued Daisy, our former accountant, two years ago. I was enamored with her even though she was forty-three at the time. But as usual, I failed. She ended up with Jasper, and now both of them, along with her mother, resided in England.

  My love life had hit rock bottom when my two partners—and best friends—succeeded in finding romance, leaving me to manage Virgin Islands Personal Fitness. Well, there was Harriet Wellington, who was the fourth primary partner, but she didn’t count. I assumed she was a night walker, sleeping in a coffin and sucking the blood and oxygen out of everyone she met. Even via video chat, fax, or phone, that woman had the propensity to put the fear of Satan into everyone. She had made my life a living hell with the threat of pulling the VIP rug out from under me if I couldn’t become corporate and run the entire business. But she hadn’t shown up yet. Hey, maybe she died. Oh, if wishes could come true.

  I missed my other partners and the times we shared women because it was simpler. No love. No attachment. Just sexual debauchery at its finest.

  They’d both abandoned me. Sure, Kai still lived on the mainland, so he was here almost every day, but it was different now. He was strictly business. He had changed when he’d fallen in love and had a child. Even Jasper was slightly more pleasant after settling down with Daisy. He had told me his time away would be six months, yet he’d warned he might not return at all. Jasper’s entire life had been complicated from a young age, and it took a woman fourteen years older to lift his burdens and finally fill his life with happiness.

  Leaving me here to manage VIP on my own had not been easy, but Jasper had hired Harper Waite before he left and the man was a godsend. He was only a year older and had taken the position because his relationship of almost eight years had gone south. He was as uninterested in love as I was but enjoyed the ratio of women on St. Willis. Harper kept his sex life private, but I’d heard rumors. Evidently, he was making up for the years of being with only one female.

  I was basically afraid of becoming a corporate executive. I’d never been involved in that aspect of VIP. That was Jasper’s domain. Kai and I handled the clientele and their training.

  I gave up my bungalow on the shoreline and moved into Jasper’s vacant house, cut my hair, and became Mr. Management. I scoured the internet, read books, and talked to other corporate leaders about what I needed to become a savvy advisor.

  It had been twenty-two months since I had been threatened with Harriet’s six-month appearance and was decreed the boss. I prayed she never arrived. I still had Kai handle all the video calls. He always told her I was out or in meetings. Never once did he reveal that I
was actually terrified. The truth was my life would be perfect if Harriet Wellington never showed up. Just let the bitch watch our business flourish from afar and the money roll in. I was sure she felt, as the majority stockholder, she held the reins. Well, fuck you, Harriet the Hun.

  Kai gulped down his remaining coffee. “I have a client, so I gotta go. Say hi to Jasper for me.”

  I waved him off and looked over a few files before I had my Skype session.

  “So how goes it?” I asked as Jasper’s face filled the laptop screen.

  “My apologies, Reese. I know it’s been awhile, but Daisy and I are moving into our own place. I do believe Rumour is finally happy to be rid of us.”

  “Rubbish.” Jasper’s sister yelled in the background, making me chuckle.

  “So you found a house for you two and Verna?”

  “Actually, it’s an estate, and it has several buildings adjacent to the main house. I think they were servant quarters at one point. Daisy’s mother fell in love with them, so she chose one to make her home. I thought it was time since Verna gave her Tennessee home and furnishings to the handyman. It’s taken awhile for them both to choose fixtures for their new homes. I finally hired a decorator for Daisy because she appeared overwhelmed by the size.”

  I laughed. “I would have thought she’d be used to the size by now,” I drawled.

  Jasper snorted. “Oh, shut it. You seem in a good mood. What’s got you so joyful?”

  “Just got a blowjob. No Harriet Wellington. The list is long. It’s been a good day so far—” I stopped midthought. “Wait. Is that a damn wedding ring?”

  “Don’t get too excited. I didn’t get married and not tell you. This ring”—he playfully spun it around and smiled—“was Daisy’s doing. We’ve been here for almost two years, and she finally noticed that other women are interested. Once we moved back, they came out of the woodwork. A wealthy bachelor is always a target, even though I am one hundred percent committed to Daisy and always will be. She just assumed since she has a ring, so should I. We even took out a fake wedding announcement just to drill it home. Those are her words.” He chuckled. “I love her, so taking myself off the market wasn’t any hardship on my part and it quelled her fears.”

  “I get it. So no marriage, and I suppose your huge estate has no white picket fence?”

  He snickered, then rolled his eyes. “I have missed you, Reese. And no, there isn’t a picket fence. That’s what you wanted, not me.”

  “Well, as you can see, a lot has changed. I don’t think I’m interested in that anymore. My sex life consists of barely legal girls, and anything I coveted before was just a pipe dream. Though, I kind of wish I hadn’t had to cut my hair, ditch the shorts, and give up surfing every day. I barely have enough time to take my board out once a week. And if that shrew Harriet ever shows up, I’m sure she’ll nitpick my entire lifestyle.”

  “I am sorry, Reese. I know it was hard becoming me,” he joked, nodding toward my bare feet I had propped on the desk. “How do you like the house?”

  “I’m enjoying it. Your place kind of took the sting out of getting rid of mine. I mean, what would Harriet have thought? Yeah, I might wear more clothing, have shorter hair, and have barely enough time to enjoy my favorite pastime, but wearing shoes is where I draw the line,” I replied as I wiggled my bare toes.

  “I briefly spoke on the phone with Kai right before our Skype. I guess you’re opposed to wearing pants also. Must have been due to that blowjob.”

  “Damn, news spreads fast. It was his fault for not knocking. I think it’s payback for all the times I barged in on him. I know what you’re going to say, but don’t. Both of you spent quite a bit of time using your offices as bordellos. Just remember you’re still only the face of VIP. I run the day-to-day operations. I still liked it better when I was just a trainer and got to surf. The good old days when we three shared our women.”

  “As you get older, your priorities will change. Mine did. This is the life I thought I’d never have, never deserved. I believe your time will come. Just hold on to that thought.”

  “Yeah, well, until then, can you explain these graphs?” I asked, showing him several documents.

  Jasper spent the next hour clarifying the paperwork. We shared the final moments talking about miscellaneous things before ending the call.

  Yeah, I missed those good old days when I surfed every morning, then trained clients, my nights reserved for us boys. I supposed I had to grow up at some point and become more professional. I felt I was living under a dark cloud because so much time had passed since Harriet the Hun had threatened to charm St. Willis with her presence. The witch. But I guess if I was screwing in my office, the fear of her just walking in wasn’t so daunting anymore. True, the thought of her still sent shivers up my spine, and she’d been anything but a silent partner. But honestly, how bad could she really be?

  Chapter Two

  Harriet

  “Please get on the plane, Harry.”

  “But,” I said, stopping my rolling suitcase on the tarmac to look at Godwin.

  “Trust me. I will take care of Penne. He’ll be fine. I don’t want you to worry. We haven’t heard a word from his father in years. You’re not going to the moon. It’s only the Virgin Islands. Just go check on the business and maybe relax a little. It’s not as though you’re leaving him with a stranger. He is my godchild, after all. Now scoot. Don’t dally.”

  I nodded, then continued my journey to my private plane. Once I got my luggage secured and myself seated, I opted for a vodka martini. When we had ascended, I opened my laptop and began scouring the files, going over the records of VIP. Virgin Islands Personal Fitness had been a worthwhile investment. Even with the negativity of Kai Addison’s sexual infraction and two murders, which had been kept discreetly from the public’s knowledge, the business was a goldmine. Becoming the primary partner had benefitted me. I didn’t have to do anything but watch my stock go up. But I’d always known there would be a time I had to do cleanup because three men in their age group were bound to get messy.

  I owned many companies but was certain VIP would eventually become valuable. Kai Addison had done his homework, and along with Jasper Kendrick, whom I had met on a prior occasion, and Reese Hunter, they had produced a solid business plan. Honestly, they hadn’t needed my money. Jasper could have bankrolled the entire project, but for some reason, he had kept his net worth to himself. Having him become a part of the company as well as the face of VIP had worked well.

  Then came the issues. First, Kai had fathered a child, then married a client. That in itself had been rather scandalous. After VIP survived that public embarrassment, I hired Daisy Jones as a forensic accountant. I hadn’t foreseen her and Jasper developing a relationship, at least not a personal one. She had left out quite a few details in her resume. Those things were made clear when her husband came to the island to murder her. Even badly injured, she had managed to kill him, but not before he had taken the life of a former employee. Jasper and Daisy left for England a year later, leaving the reins of VIP in Reese’s hands. Even with Kai onboard, his hours were only part time, so it was now up to me to see if the youngest of the three was taking the business seriously and could maintain the corporation. He’d done well so far, but I still had concerns.

  I’d spoken with both Kai and Jasper on the phone as well as video chats, but Reese Hunter had eluded me for years. As well he should, I thought to myself, studying his photograph. Both Kai and Jasper appeared as somber businessmen, but holding a photo of Reese, he seemed impractical as a corporate leader. His youth, long hair, and inexperience as an administrator sent up red flags. As I suspected, eventually I would need someone else to fill the management vacancy left by Kai and Jasper.

  “I’ll take another,” I said as I held up my glass to the attendant. I figured I could have four drinks since this was going to be a long flight.

  I already missed my baby. Though, Penne was no longer a baby; he was now eight years old
. During the nine months I carried him, his prick of a father decided that he didn’t want the responsibility of raising a child or, for that fact, being with me. Along with his irresponsibility, Nolan sat on the board of one of Japan’s largest companies I invested in, and I had no appetite to constantly be in the same room. I already had a home, friends, and many business ties in England, so I’d gone back. Plus, I lived in constant fear that Nolan might change his mind and want to be in Penne’s life. I didn’t trust him.

  I, like Jasper, had come from family money. My father had holdings in many technology companies, so even at an early age, I learned everything from him. When both of my parents passed, I became the sole beneficiary. And in my early twenties, I took full control of all Wellington Enterprises. But I’d worked hard, becoming one of the few female billionaires, which earned me a ruthless reputation in business and with men in general.

  I had met Jasper Kendrick at a party for corporate elites. It was obvious that he knew who I was since he handed me prepared documents on the VIP business plan. Even though a fitness company was out of the realm of what I normally funded, the plan had merit, and I knew how much the United States was obsessed with health. So I decided to take a chance. But I wanted to hold the primary shares, and the remainder could be divided between the three men. My choice to be a silent partner was my way of steering clear in case the business bottomed out. It turned out to be a wise option since one couldn’t keep his cock under wraps and the other had known about a miscalculated hire of mine, Daisy Jones. The murders surrounding St. Willis could have decimated the fitness company, but due to a great fixer, I was able to squash any rumors. What it came down to was having men of this age run any sort of business always had a way of bringing their bad behavior to the public eye.

  So what was Reese’s story? From what I gathered, he came from a decent family. No scandals, at least none I could find. Two loving parents, a mother who was a scholar and a father who had made millions in the medical field. His school transcripts were exemplary. Reese held several degrees in business, as well as a degree in exercise science, and was certified as a personal trainer. What surprised me was he was also certified in physical therapy. I hadn’t known that, and I’d bet the other partners didn’t either. Against his father’s wishes, he invested his entire trust to be a part of VIP. The man was intelligent but had allowed Kai and Jasper to take the helm. He didn’t appear to take an interest in the business part of VIP, but rather served as a trainer. It had been close to two years since Reese was saddled with management duties, yet Kai was still the one I spoke with every few months.