Billionaires in New York Boxed Set: Billionaires in the City Books 1-3 Laura Burton (books to read this summer .TXT) 📖

up where we left off? Pretend she didn’t run off with Phillipe and then put a bounty on my head?”

“Don’t be silly, Harold. No one’s trying to kill you. I don’t believe for one moment Ebony had anything to do with this. She is the one who found you.”

Harry sighed. His mother would need hard evidence. Even then, she had a habit of putting her head in the sand and avoiding the truth when it hurt or it wasn’t something she wanted to hear. Of course, she would be defensive of Ebony running off with Phillipe. Had she not done the same thing to Harry’s father?

“You should never have brought Julie, you know. All of this would have been so different if you just walked away when you got that first––”

“Note? Is that what you were going to say? How do you know about the note?” Harry shook his head, shocked at this new revelation. “You had something to do with this?”

Harry’s mother straightened her back and picked a loose thread from his collar. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. That is not what I was going to say.” She refused to make eye contact.

“Benjamin said he thought a private detective was following us on our first date.” He stood up and walked back to the window. “What I can’t work out is, was he hired by Ebony… or by you?” He turned to face his mother, who looked back at him affronted.

“Harold Anthony Jackson, I did no such thing.”

“Why are you so set on Ebony and I getting back together?” Harry asked, exasperated. Jonas had often accused their mother of being vindictive but pairing him with a woman who organized an attack on her son was surely a step too far. Even for her.

“Harold darling, I wish I could shake you by the shoulders and knock some sense into you. Ebony misses you. I miss you. We both want you to come home.”

“So pick up the phone and tell me. Childish notes and messages written in fake blood are not the way to go about this.”

Harry’s mother looked at the floor and bit her lip for a moment. Harry wondered if this was a sign of regret or buying time to spin a story. She looked up at him and sighed heavily.

“I didn’t know things between you and Julie were serious. Last week you didn’t even know who she was.”

“How did you know––” Harry stopped and scratched the back of his neck, struck by a thought. “You hired someone to follow me?”

“I worry about you. It’s for your own safety. We both know you’re a lot like your father––”

Harry balled his hands into fists and swallowed hard—as if being like his kind-hearted father was a bad thing.

“Ebony is strong, she has money, and she can keep you safe.”

“That’s ironic, because she’s the one who just got me beaten up, and are you forgetting I don’t need her money?”

Harry’s mother sucked in air through her teeth in a hiss. “No one meant for you to be attacked. Why do you find it so hard to believe?”

“Well, someone did. And you’ve just confessed that the you two have been conspiring against me.”

“Conspiring,” Harry’s mother repeated with a laugh. “It was childish. I will give you that. I only thought that if you sensed there would be confrontations and drama with Julie, that you would let her go and come home to––”

“You and Ebony are living in a fantasy world,” Harry said frankly. “Single or not. There is no way I would ever get back together with her. Look what she’s done. Just how far is she willing to go to stop me from being happy?”

Harry’s mother rose to her feet and rested her plump hands on her hips, the way she did when he was a child and got into a fight with his brother.

“I’ve had quite enough of this. You need to rest. Ebony is coming to see you this evening. I expect you to be on your best behavior, and I will tolerate no more of this nonsense.”

Harry couldn’t decide if his mother’s posh English accent was fake, or the result of living in England for years. Either way, it irritated him. And in that moment, he wanted to pick up a chair and throw it at the window. His own mother had been conspiring with his cheating ex-fiancé against him.

And Julie was gone.

It was fortunate that Harry’s mother left without another word. His anger boiled so violently, he was worried what he might do if provoked even further.

Harry collapsed back onto the bed and pulled his phone out from his pocket. Nine messages, none of them from Julie.

He glanced up at the clock and sighed. His personal assistant would be going crazy wondering where he was. He was supposed to be doing interviews at the Ritz in less than an hour. He made a call and told them he would be unable to do any interviews; some took the news harder than others.

“What do you mean you can’t come?” Martin, his director, barked down the phone. “You expect me to give this interview alone?”

“Matt and Sabrina will be attending as well. I have my PA team on hand to make all the arrangements and ensure everything goes to plan.”

Martin grumbled something inaudible.

“Fine. But you’re doing Tokyo next week,” he snapped.

Harry took a breath. “No, I’m going to be busy for the rest of the month. Martin, I need you to take over this tour.”

There was a silence. Then a deep sigh.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you but sounds serious if you’re prepared to let the team down.”

Ordinarily this would have made Harry change his mind; the thought of letting anyone down filled him with anguish. He would move mountains to make other people happy. But there someone more important he needed to please.

As if the universe was finally on his side, the door swung open and in strolled a man with the biggest arms Harry