Billionaire's Blackmail Bride: Billionaire Brothers Kent - Ridge's Story (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) Read Online Free

it.”
    Rafe was smiling as he walked over and dropped back down onto the
chair. “You know what, big brother? It feels good to have you coming to me for
advice for a change. After all those years of you trying to bully me and boss
me around I’m in the driver’s seat now.”
    “Trying?” Ridge scoffed. “I bossed you around because you were the
runt of the family and you still are. Don’t you forget it.” The kid had grown
pretty tall, topping out at six foot three, but he was still no match for Ridge
who bested him by an inch, not to mention forty more pounds.
    “Yeah, but a runt who’s got the key to solving your problem,” Rafe
said, looking like he didn’t give a damn what Ridge had just said. “Right now
you’re desperate so I’m the one in charge.”
    “Is that right?” Ridge regarded him with a cool stare.
    “That’s right,” Rafe said, “so listen up.” He straightened up then
sat forward in his chair. “Now here’s what we’ll do-”
    A call came over the speaker phone, cutting him off. “You have a
visitor, Mr. Kent.” His assistant’s voice came in, clear and crisp. “Miss Lani Donatelli.”
    Surprised, Ridge glanced over at Rafe just as his brother raised his
eyebrows. “Bring her in,” he told Miss Poole.
    “I think that’s my cue to exit,” Rafe said and got up out of his
chair.
    “Wait.” Ridge got up, too. “What’s the idea you had for plan B?”
    Rafe shrugged. “That’s irrelevant now. The lady’s already here.
Improvise.”
    And with that he turned on his heel and walked to the door just as
it opened and Lani stepped in.
    “Good day, Miss Donatelli,” Rafe said with a smile and a polite nod,
making her eyes widen in surprise. Then, before she could respond, he went
through the door and closed it firmly behind him.
    Still standing by the door, Lani gave Ridge a look of puzzlement.
    “My brother,” Ridge said then waved her over to a chair. “He heard
your name when Miss Poole announced you.”
    “Oh.” Lani relaxed visibly. “For a moment there I thought you’d been
discussing me or something.”
    Ridge cocked an eyebrow. “Now why would you think that?”
    “I don’t know. I just…” She shook her head. “Anyway, that’s not
important. What’s important is why I came to see you.”
    Ridge watched as she settled in her chair then, his thoughts racing,
he walked back to his desk but he did not retake his seat. Instead, he perched
his rear on the edge of the desk and as he stared at her he folded his arms.
“And why did you come to see me, Miss Donatelli?”
    For just a fraction of a second tough little Lani looked hesitant,
like she was afraid to say whatever it was she’d come to tell him. But then he
saw her set her lips in a tight line and when she looked back at him her dark
eyes flashed and she did not drop her gaze.
    “I came to see you, Mr. Kent, to tell you that I will marry you.”
Her brows furrowed and she raised her hand to point an imperious finger at him.
"But only for one year and not a day more. Do you understand?”
    Ridge stared back at her, his look deliberately serious, but inside
he was laughing. The way Lani was talking anybody would think she was the one
in control of this situation. She was like a little terrier trying to assert its
authority over a Mastiff.
    After staring her down for a few seconds longer Ridge gave her a
slow smile. “I’m glad you came around, Lani. Now go get yourself in order.
We’re getting married next weekend.”
     
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
     
    “I’m still amazed. How did you pull this off so fast?” Marie Donatelli
straightened Lani’s veil one more time. “A full-scale wedding in two weeks? How
is that even possible?”
    “I keep telling you, Mom, I had nothing to do with it. It was
Ridge’s team that pulled it all together.” She wrinkled her nose. “I guess all
things are possible as long as you have the money.”
    Marie smiled. “Well, it certainly helps.”
    “Yeah, it does,