Pleasing Mindy

Pleasing Mindy - Chapter 3

On her dying bed, Galen's mother's older sister, Gertrude, had told Galen that his parents had been in love with each other before he was born. Massimo's then pregnant mother, Giuliana, had threatened to take Massimo and her unborn child away from Luciano if he didn't end his relationship with Judith. Giuliana had also ordered Judith not to ever reveal the paternity of her bastard child to anyone, not even the child, or else the financial support she'd set up for him would stop.

Since Andretti family business was structured so that only legitimate heirs could inherit, Luciano had buckled under his wife's demands and sent his pregnant lover back to England. He never spoke to her again, nor had he ever seen the child their love had created.

Galen had gone to the pub where Trix worked and over a few drinks, had bitched and moaned about his father's wife, who'd come between Galen's father and mother.

He'd awakened the following morning to a grinning Trix praising him for giving her the best shag of her life. She'd said that she missed him while he was away, and that she was ready to get serious and settle down. She'd even asked if he'd take her back to the States with him.

Galen had told her about Mindy, and that he loved her and her two kids. And then he'd hightailed it from Trix's flat with remorse, disgust, and self-loathing for betraying Mindy, cramming the space where anger and heartbreak had been the previous night. Up to this day, Galen still could not remember the alleged night of sex with Trix, but Geoffrey's birth nine months later was proof that he'd slept with her.

Galen floored the gas pedal as he merged onto M25 toward London. He was anxious to get home to his son—a son he'd known existed for eight months, but whom he hadn't seen or held in his arms until recently.

As Geoffrey's eighteen-month birthday had drawn closer and closer, Galen's fear of never meeting him had outweighed his fear of the Fraser family. He still had one ace up his sleeve, one chip to cash in even though it meant losing a little dignity.

He got his chance when Geoffrey was sixteen months old. Christmas, as it turned out, was a big deal for the Frasers, plus one of the young women in the family was getting married on Christmas Eve. Galen's roommate—the man who had stolen Galen's identity— was spending less time at the flat and more at the family's luxury compound in Ireland. The faux Galen's coconspirators' visits had dwindled also, much to Galen's relief.

In mid-December, Charles Fraser, the patriarch of the family, had called Galen on the cell phone they'd given him and told him that since he'd been such a good, obedient servant, he would have a break from the impromptu frisking, searching, and beatings for the holidays. He was still expected to make his scheduled deposits and transfers though, and he'd better not do anything stupid since someone could be watching him.

The moment he'd hung up from Charles, Galen left his flat and walked into the restaurant across the street, snagged a cell phone from a stranger's coat hanging on the back of her chair, walked into the bathroom, and called Massimo. The call had gone straight to voicemail. Galen had left as much details as he could about his situation, his address, his schedule, and the names of the banks where he made weekly deposits. He'd begged Mass not to make Geoffrey pay for his mistakes.

To Galen's utmost surprise, Mass was sitting behind the desk, posing as a clerk in the bank where Galen had gone to conduct business the next day. It had taken all of Galen's strength not to break down and cry when he'd realized that his big brother—the one he'd tried to destroy—had come to his aid without a moment's hesitation.

While they worked on the deposits and transfers, Mass had told him that he'd done some digging and had all the scoop on the Fraser family—their illegal operations, their compounds and homes, their bank accounts, and he'd even found some of the other young women who'd fallen victim to them. He was certain they would testify against the Frasers if called upon to do so.