Chapter 16

Suzie

T wo weeks after the last WAR meeting, I've had Noah following me around like a lost puppy. It's quite comical as I've been dodging him at work, hiding in the closet in Liv's office, much to Benjamin's amusement.

The more Noah chases me, the more I like him. He is a badass with all his ninja skills but he's showing a loving and caring side, more than I imagined he would have.

Slade keeps looking at me and pretends to heave, as he says it's sickly watching Noah and Benjamin chasing after women. I know Sin has persuaded Liv to move into his house, and they are showing no signs of hesitation starting their relationship.

Benjamin and Holly are also wrapped up in each other, and it's not gotten past me that she's not at home in the evenings these days. I'll have to be saying something to them both soon about what happened to girls' nights.

Peeking my head around the corner to my office, checking if Noah is around, I blow out the breath I've been holding and step inside.

The door bangs behind me and I'm grabbed by a pair of arms. "Hmm, were you hiding from me again, Suzie?"

"Oh, no, of course not." I turn in his arms and give Noah a false grin. This is the game we've been playing…he stalks, I run, he catches me, and I pretend I wasn't running.

Noah gives me his sweetest smile before he kisses me thoroughly. By the time he's done, I'm glassy-eyed, red in the face, and breathing hard, which, of course, has him looking darn proud of himself.

Kissing the tip of my nose, Noah takes ahold of my hand and pulls me toward the door. "We have a meeting in Benjamin's office. Sin is here and has some news."

As we are walking to Benjamin's office, I turn to Noah and ask. "What are we doing, Noah?"

"We are going to be together, get married, have kids and a picket fence. I know you are not sure, but I am and have been since before you got rid of Brent, the bastard ."

Giggling because I've never heard Noah call him that before. But, thinking back, Noah has always been the one I would run to when I had to speak to anyone, someone to lean on, someone I trusted and loved. Oh…My…God…I love Noah!

I stumble and Noah catches me, giving me a frown when he sees the expression of shock on my face. "What's wrong, Babycakes?"

Babycakes! Oh my, oh my, oh my. "I just realized something."

Noah kisses my forehead and keeps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his body. "What did you just realize?"

I swallow hard and decide I may as well go all-in. "I just realized that I love you, and have for a long time."

"I know you do, and I love you too." Kissing me once more while pushing me against the wall in the reception area of Benjamin's office.

"Will you two stop sucking face before you make me vomit?"

Looking over Noah's shoulder since he has me lifted off the floor, I giggle when Slade is again pretending to heave, but I can see the twinkle in his eyes while trying to hold back his laughter.

"Shut the fuck up," Noah snaps, but I know he is playing, because I know him well enough that if he'd truly been angry, he would have had Slade pinned on the floor.

"Love is in the air…" Slade sings as he enters Benjamin's office. Then we hear, "Oh, not in here as well?"

Giggling because that means Benjamin and Holly are sucking face as Slade called it. Walking into the office, I smile at Holly, who is sitting on Benjamin's lap behind his desk. I have to tell you that neither of them has a guilty look on their faces. In fact, Holly's is flushed and Benjamin looks like he won an Oscar.

Sin and Liv walk into the office and we all take a seat around the conference table. Looking down, I grin when I notice a single rose has been placed in my lap. Picking it up, I sniff the perfumed scent before giving Noah a beautiful smile. Well, it's beautiful to me, but could be too toothy to everyone else! Where he got the rose from I've no idea, and I'm not going to ask.

Benjamin taps the table with his knuckles, and we all give him our attention. It's not like him to open any kind of meeting like that, but he has an expression that can only be described as amusement on his face. "Sinclair has some news he needs to convey, its good news as far as I see it. We all call it karma."

Turning to give Sin my attention, I notice he has a smirk on his face, and wipes a hand over his mouth before he starts to speak. "I've had a report from my PI friend. Last week Brent ditched Meanie Mo after they had a massive argument over her spending cash that they didn't have. It appears his credit card is maxed out and his bank account is empty. That's why he is chasing Suzie for as many dollars as he can get out of her."

"He has what he deserves, in my opinion. A lonely life where he'll be working his ass off for years to pay the debts that bitch landed him with, and on his own unless he can find another woman who'd be up for wiping his ass for him," Slade snarls.

I find myself nodding as Slade is speaking, and stop myself once I realize what I'm doing. Noah squeezes my hand while giving a chuckle.

"Brent is in collusion with your parents, Suzie. They are apparently speaking to any judge that may take a bribe, but so far they've not found a single one. But it could be that it's been bandied around that my company and yours, Benjamin, are the ones that would get involved in throwing the dirt until said judge was locked up. " Sin gives all of us an evil grin, and Noah, Slade and Benjamin laugh at his theatrics.

"My parents are all about spending money. They had money given to them by my grandparents before they died. They were told that was the inheritance they were getting, and that's all they were getting. They had to sign something to say they understood, would not try to interfere with their Will reading before they were given the inheritance." I had forgotten about that until this moment. "I need to find the copy of that signed document. My grandfather gave it to me and said to keep it safe. Seems he may have known they would try to pull the wool over anyone's eyes so they could get what they want."

"Suzie, you are not to blame for any of this," Holly states, and gives me a smile. "You only have what your grandparents wanted you to have. You and we will fight any court that may consider giving them more. I don't see it happening because your grandparents made sure the Will was watertight, and they made sure they signed for the inheritance they had."

"I agree. I think they are full of bullshit and I say let them come. We have enough lawyers between us to annihilate them and any firm that wants to take them on as clients." Noah gives my hand another squeeze and I have to admit it is comforting.

"I think we should cause him some more trouble. You know, mess with him one last time." Sin gives us a look that says he's been thinking of this for a while. "Does anyone have an ‘in' with a realtor?"

Slade nearly chokes on the coffee he just poured for himself from the machine Benjamin keeps in the office. "I know one. Why? Are we going to sell his properties?"

"I was thinking we could do a bogus campaign of selling his parents' house and his condo. All make believe, of course, but he'll not know that." Sin looks from one of us to another, and we all think about what he's suggesting.

"That will mess with him because I think those are the only assets he has now. He leases out the house he has inherited from his parents, and he has fully paid for his condo. But to think he may lose one of them will have him in a genuine panic." I look at Sin, who is looking right back at me. Holly and Liv smirk right before they giggle.

"Who's up for this?" Benjamin asks.

"I am," Holly quickly responds.

Liv follows, "Yeah, I am too."

"Yeah," Slade chuckles.

Noah and Sin both give a thumbs up sign to Benjamin and they all turn to look at me for my opinion.

"Because it's a prank, and one we know will pull all his strings, I think it's a good last hoorah. Once we've had him panic I say we shut the door on him. We have to see a lawyer about my parents and what they are trying to do so we can get rid of them from my life, too. I'm ready to move on and leave them all behind." I look at Noah and he leans forward, kissing my nose.

"Not again. I'm going to Florida to look at that contract once this shit is done. I'm not settling down like you all seem to be doing. You can have the lovey shit while I continue sowing my oats." Slade jumps out of his seat, taking his coffee with him and storms out of Benjamin's office, but he has to hear all of us laughing at him.