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  Published by The Hartwood Publishing Group, LLC,

  Hartwood Publishing, Phoenix, Arizona

  www.hartwoodpublishing.com

  Family Ties

  Copyright © 2016 by Tricia Andersen

  Digital Release: November 2016

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Family Ties by Tricia Andersen

  Life is rough for fourteen-year-old Amelia O’Riley. Being the oldest of seven siblings is tough. Being the child of Sloan and Abbey O’Riley, the billionaire owners of Sloan Enterprises, isn’t easy, especially when she has a crush on Dakota, the quarterback of her school’s football team. She is teased for being who she is. Her parents just don’t understand.

  When three strange men attempt to kidnap Ame and her little sister on school grounds, Ame learns her parents’ deep, dark past. But will Sloan’s and Abbey’s past lives save their daughter and Dakota when a mysterious British spy called the Butcher has them kidnapped? The O’Riley’s race the clock on a worldwide scavenger hunt to save the teens’ lives, leading them to the Butcher himself. What does the spy want with Sloan and Abbey? Will their lives be the same when the spy is finished with them?

  Dedication

  To Nancy. I’m pretty sure you’re more excited about a Black Irish release than I am, which says a lot since I crazy love Sloan. Thank you so much for your faith and encouragement. It means the world to me.

  Chapter One

  Beep-beep-beep…

  The ear piercing tone of the alarm clock filled the large sunlit bedroom. A hand slipped from under the fluffy daisy yellow comforter to slap it silent. It quickly retreated under the covers. I don’t want to get up. Just five more minutes.

  The creak of the door hinges and the sound of footprints reported someone else was in the room. “Ame, sweetheart. It’s time to get up. You don’t want to be late for school.”

  Ame’s only response was a groan. She buried herself deeper into her bed. She could hear her mother sigh. “Amelia, you need to get up. You know what comes next.”

  “I’m getting up, Mom,” Ame assured.

  “All right.” By the sound of Abbey’s sigh, it was evident she had no faith in her daughter. She closed the door behind her. Ame snuggled deeper into her pillow. She could close her eyes for just a moment more.

  “Amelia O’Riley, get up!”

  Ame shot up in her bed, her heart beating out of her chest. She didn’t have to look up to see who was standing beside her bed. The deep Irish brogue told her exactly who it was, and his very large shadow now darkened the wood floor of her bedroom. “I’m awake, Dad,” she whined.

  “Now you are,” Sloan scoffed. “Hurry and get dressed. Your mother almost has breakfast finished.”

  Ame watched as her father slipped from her room, smooth and cool as a phantom. She tossed the comforter down and scooted off the bed. Trudging to her en suite, she started the water for her shower and then stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her long, nearly ebony hair was rumpled. Her blue eyes with flecks of hazel were sleepy. And there was a zit right in the middle of her chin. She sighed. Sometimes being fourteen sucked.

  After a quick shower, Ame shuffled to her closet to get her school uniform. Another sigh escaped her lips. She hated her school. The elite of the Twin Cities sent their children there. Being the children of billionaires, that included Ame and her siblings. She turned her head at the sound of squealing and screaming. Yeah, siblings. Six of them. Did anyone ever talk to her parents about birth control?

  She tugged on her skirt and blouse, slowly fastening the buttons so not to miss one. She sat on her bed to pull on the regulation knee socks. As she picked up the navy blue blazer with the gold emblem on the chest she heard voices call out in unison. “Ame!”

  Ame shrugged the jacket on with a huff. Grabbing her backpack, she made her way down the hall to the staircase that led to the main floor. She froze as her foot hit the bottom step.

  Her father was pressing her mother against the counter with his body, his lips roaming the curve of her neck. He turned Abbey to him and parted her lips with a deep, devouring kiss. She buried her fingers in his thick hair to draw him closer. Ame could have sworn she heard both of her parents moan.

  “Seriously?” Ame screeched.

  Sloan lifted his head confused for a moment. When he caught sight of his daughter he chuckled. “Lass, if I hadn’t done this to your mother, you and your siblings wouldn’t be here.”

  “But at the breakfast table?”

  “The breakfast table is over there in the other room.” Sloan pointed in the direction of the dining room where the rest of the children were enjoying breakfast. “What we do in the kitchen shouldn’t be of concern to you.”

  “There are seven of us, Dad.”

  “Are you adequately fed? Clothed? Do you have everything you need? Is there someone home for you at night?”

  Ame sighed again. “Yes.”

  Abbey cupped Sloan’s chin in her palm and kissed his cheek. “We can pick up on this later.”

  “My office?”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’m flexible.”

  Sloan laughed again, kissing her lips then smacking her rump playfully. Abbey squeaked, winking at him before he strode to his office. She turned toward the dining room. “Come on, guys! Wrap it up. I need to get to work.”

  The sounds of giggles and chair legs scraping the floor announced the end of breakfast. One by one in a line came the six other children, all with near ebony hair and blue eyes. Each handed their dishes to their mother for her to put in the dishwasher. Abbey handed a plastic bowl of scrambled eggs garnished with wedges of wheat toast to Ame. “Eat in the car.” She then picked up her purse, briefcase and a protein bar. “Get your bags everyone and head to the van. Let’s not be late.”

  Sloan popped his head out of his office long enough to kiss his wife and children goodbye before disappearing inside again. All seven children climbed inside the minivan parked in the five stall garage. Abbey buckled the youngest in their car seats, set her things in the back, then climbed into the driver’s seat. She backed the vehicle out then maneuvered it down the heavily wooded drive to the highway.

  “Mommy,” a tiny voice in the back whined.

  “Yes, Aubrey?”

  “Why doesn’t Daddy take us to school?”

  Abbey shot a glance over to Ame. “Want to field that one?”

  The teen just turtled herself inside her blazer. “No.”

  Abbey sighed then searched for the inquisitive child in the rearview mirror. “It’s just easier if I do it, sweetheart.”

  “Oh.” The little girl huffed and looked out the window again.

  “Kiss up,” Ame muttered under her breath.

  “Sweetheart, you were the same way at her age. You couldn’t get enough of Daddy.” Abbey shot another look at her daughter. “I’m trying to figure out what happened.”


  “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Try me.”

  Ame just curled further into her blazer to tune out her mother. Abbey sighed and focused on the road again. The teen stared out the passenger side window. Of course she loved her father. He did everything for her. He always had. He owned one of the most successful resort real estate business in the world. They had complexes everywhere. But he was there with a big hug and kiss for every game, every recital, every big moment of her life.

  That was, until middle school. Until she discovered his secret of who he really was. She was only trying to borrow his computer in his office for a school project. She couldn’t wait to ask for his permission. The report was already overdue. When she clicked on the browser it didn’t give her a search engine. It gave her the profile of an Irish Republican Army terrorist turned mercenary.

  Her father.

  It was then that she asked him to stop coming to her events. It was then that she created the distance between them. She knew it devastated him. He just forced a smile on his face and agreed. Anything for his angel.

  “Ame, you’re here.”

  Ame glanced at her mother, seeing her high school behind Abbey. “Oh. Yeah.”

  “Have a good day.”

  “Yeah. You too. Bye.” Ame hopped out of the passenger side and scuttled around the van before anyone could see her. Her feet didn’t stop until she reached her locker. Keeping her head low, she quickly shuffled her books out before shoving her backpack inside.

  “Well, look. It’s poor little Ame.”

  Ame clenched her eyes closed. “What do you want, Chelsea? Aren’t there senior boys to flirt with?”

  “At least I don’t have a hopeless crush on Dakota Rogers. You do realize the quarterback of the JV football team wouldn’t look at you sideways, right? Are you hoping he’ll ask you to the school dance?”

  “Again, what do you want?”

  “Just still trying to figure out why San Ramon Academy’s biggest loser hadn’t left yet. For having parents so insanely rich, you’d think you would have more style. You definitely could add a little color to your wardrobe.”

  Ame turned, exasperated, to take in Chelsea and her cohorts’ outfits. They wore the required skirt. However, their knee socks were tie-died and each wore a T-shirt with a kitten on it under their unbuttoned blouse. It didn’t matter what fashion sense Ame had. Their outfits were just hideous. “This is dress code. Just because your daddy pays off the school every time you get hauled to the dean’s office for a violation doesn’t mean I want to join you.”

  “It’s too bad your daddy can’t do that for you. Oh, wait. Yours is never around anymore.”

  “Didn’t you tell us that your dad left your mom and moved out of the country. Like to London or something. He’s shacking up with an old girlfriend,” the brunette named Madison commented. The other girls nodded in response.

  “Thanks for reminding me,” Ame snapped.

  All three girls suddenly stopped, their eyes glued down the hall. Ame frowned then looked down the hall herself. Her breath caught in her throat. Dakota was strolling down the hall on his way to class. Tall, muscular with dirty blond hair and pretty brown eyes, he filled Ame’s dreams. And he’s totally out of my league.

  “Hi Dakota,” Chelsea cooed.

  “Hey.” He looked in Ame’s direction and gave her a shy grin. “Hey, Ame. How’s it going?”

  “Great.” The high pitch squeal in her voice was embarrassing. “You?”

  “Can’t complain. Gotta get to class. Catch you later.”

  Ame still couldn’t breathe as Dakota walked away. Her eyes fell to his perfect rear then snapped shut. Totally out of my league.

  “Come on, girls. Poor Ame needs to get to class. Can’t fail or she’ll have to go to the ghetto school. Daddy won’t buy Ame a place at this school anymore,” Chelsea sneered. The three girls spun on their toes and stormed off, leaving Ame alone at her locker. She felt her nerves quake in anger as she slammed the door shut and made her way to her first class. She didn’t get far before she literally ran into her best friend.

  “Seriously, Ame. Why do you let them treat you like that?” Ava scolded, tossing her black curls over her shoulder. Her dark skin was a sharp contrast to her white blouse and knee socks.

  “Ava, do we have to have this conversation again?” Ame sighed.

  “Girl, just tell them the truth.”

  “What? That my dad isn’t a dead beat? That my dad is actually worth five times what their dads are combined and that’s not even factoring my mom’s income?”

  “Yes. That.”

  “Because then I’ll be one of them. Shallow. They’ll want to be my best friend only because my parents own Sloan Enterprises.”

  “They’ll have to fight me for that best friend spot.”

  Ame smiled. “They would never get it. You’re the only one I can trust with my secret. I just want to be a normal kid. Even if my dad is far from normal.”

  Ava wrapped an arm around her friend and hugged her. “I know. And your secret is safe with me. Should we get to home room before Mrs. Beals flips out?”

  “Yeah. And thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  The two girls hurried down the hall toward their first class, giggling the entire way.

  »»•««

  The warm spring sunshine flooded Abbey’s office. It was one of the reasons she loved her office so much. The floor to ceiling windows gave a bird’s eye view of downtown Minneapolis. And the best thing about it was that it was across the hall from her husband.

  At the thought of Sloan, she smiled. Their plan to get frisky in his office failed as usual. By the time Abbey arrived at work and changed into her business clothes he was already at his first meeting. The frustration of being without him was getting a little much. Unfortunately, their rendezvous were becoming more and more infrequent.

  She kicked off her pumps and settled herself on the couch as she stared out the window at the urban skyline. Life had become mundane over the past eight years. Every day repeated itself – wake the children, take them to school, come to work, go home to make dinner and monitor the chaos that came with seven distinctive personalities. The closest she came to sex lately was falling asleep on the couch with Sloan. And the closest she came to adventure was being the mother of seven.

  The days of hiding in plain sight were long gone. Their espionage lives were put on the shelf. Afghanistan had terrified Sloan. Truthfully it had terrified her, too. While she fought to survive in the hot desert, he was home coming to grips with her death. It was all too much for them. Except for the occasional assignment they couldn’t say no to, they were Mom and Dad now, not Mr. and Mrs. Spy.

  Abbey turned as her door cracked open. Vicki popped her head around the corner. “Girl time?”

  Abbey’s grin spread across her face. “Of course.”

  Vicki settled on the couch next to Abbey. As she handed the cup of coffee to her friend, she let go a huge yawn.

  Abbey cocked a grin. “Cynthia’s teething keep you up all night?”

  “No. It wasn’t that. That sweet angel slept like a log. Brandon started T-ball last night. He and Robert didn’t get home until late which meant dinner and bedtime were late. Our schedules got completely scrambled.”

  “How did Brandon like it?”

  “He loved it. I think what he really loved was having his Dad as his coach.”

  Abbey just chuckled in response. Vicki stared at her, brow crinkled. “What’s so funny?”

  Abbey took a sip of coffee before answering. “I’m still just trying to wrap my mind around Robert coaching Little League. I’m sorry. I know he is probably a great coach. He’s an incredible dad. But he’ll always be Big, Bad Robert in my eyes.”

  Vicki giggled as she nudged her friend. “Mine too.”

  Together they quietly took a sip of their coffee. The silence was broken by a booming male voice startling them both. “Abbey!”

  She
stood and padded across the office in her bare feet to her phone. She leaned toward the speaker on her phone, leaving the receiver cradled in its place. “For crying out loud, Logan. You just scared the crap out of Vicki and me.”

  “We have a huge problem. All the plans for Rio have been frozen. We were slapped with an injunction.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “In-junc-tion. As in the project is shut down.”

  “By who? The Brazilian authorities?”

  “No. Our own Executive Board.”

  “They can’t do that.”

  “They did. They hired their own lawyer. An old friend of ours. Nathan Paulson. And they’ve all taken up residence in the conference room.”

  Abbey’s eyes narrowed angrily. “Where’s Sloan?”

  “On his way back from his meeting with the mayor. And he’s furious.”

  “No kidding. And everyone else?”

  “Gordon, Robert and Bartholomew are with him.”

  “Where’s Ashleigh?”

  “Here with me. She’s on the phone with officials in Rio overturning the injunction.”

  “Hurry. I want all hands on deck. I’m done with this. Meet us in the conference room as soon as you’re done.”

  “Will do. I’m grabbing the last of the documents we’ll need. Considering how greedy Nathan Paulson is, I still can’t believe he didn’t notice this change we made sooner. See you in a bit.”

  Abbey shut off the speaker of her phone then stormed across the office to the sofa. She toed her shoes back on. Vicki stood and tried to offer an encouraging smile. “Good luck. I’ll let you get ready for battle.”

  “Nope.” Abbey took her coffee cup from her hand and set it on the desk. “I said all hands. We’re taking the company out of their hands and putting it where it belongs. Our family. I would have done it by now but I seriously thought they were all dead. They’re all older than sin.”

  Vicki laughed as she followed on Abbey’s heels out of the Executive Suite toward the conference room. Both women froze in place as a sharp, violent brogue echoed through the atrium from thirty floors below. Abbey peeked over the railing, a sultry smile gracing her lips as she watched the dots of four men storming across the lobby toward the glass elevator. Even from this distance she could tell her husband was about to blow. Silently she motioned Vicki toward the elevator to wait for them.