Liberation Read online

  Liberation

  Freedom is intoxicating.

  The Barter System – Book 5

  Shayne McClendon

  Liberation by Shayne McClendon

  (The Barter System - Book 5)

  Liberation Copyright © 2015 Shayne McClendon

  October 31, 2015

  Published by Always the Good Girl LLC

  www.alwaysthegoodgirl.com

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Also by Shayne McClendon

  The Barter System – Book 1

  Hudson – Book 2

  Pushing the Envelope – Book 3

  Backstage – Book 4

  Yes to Everything

  Love of the Game – The Complete Collection

  Hart of the Matter

  Completely Wrecked

  The Hermit

  Break Down Here

  Roadside Assistance

  With Alexandra Andersen

  Just a Little Kilted

  Just a Little Crazy

  Just a Little Extra

  Dedication

  To Alexandra.

  Thank you for being there when I needed more help than ever before in my life. Thank you for every episode of Sherlock, every shared meal, and every word of incredible advice. I will never forget it.

  I’m so glad you’re my friend. Thank you for assisting in my own liberation. The future is brighter than ever.

  Love,

  Shayne

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  The Wedding

  The Barter System by Shayne McClendon

  Hudson by Shayne McClendon

  Pushing the Envelope by Shayne McClendon

  About Shayne McClendon

  Chapter One

  September 2014

  When Marci Canfield caught her mother riding the naked body of the man who’d professed to love her just hours before, she didn’t feel rage.

  The first thought that filtered into her mind as she stood before the master bedroom of her childhood home was their girls’ day the week prior her mother had insisted upon. They’d gone shopping, to the spa, and stared awkwardly at each other during an extravagant lunch.

  Everything about her relationship with her mother was bullshit.

  Upon realizing Marci stood in the doorway, Victoria Canfield calmly lifted her body from the rapidly depleting cock of her daughter’s lover and pulled on the silk robe at the end of her bed. She was in no hurry and wasn’t remotely ashamed of the circumstances.

  “Darling. I wasn’t expecting you.” Raking her fingers through her blonde hair, she gave a slow stretch and a smug smile. “Wait downstairs and I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”

  While her mother appeared as nonchalant as she always did, the man who’d been living a double life – likely for months – stared at her with fear written on his face. Stefan Perkins had quickly covered his naked body with the sheet and there was no doubt in her mind that he held his breath.

  His eyes darted between mother and daughter in clear rising panic. Their eyes met and she saw the moment he realized the consequences of the choice he’d made. The first man Marci had allowed herself to consider loving opened his mouth to speak and she gave a small shake of her head.

  It was too late for words.

  Victoria would eat him alive. To her, he was nothing more than a collection of body parts expected to satisfy her. The first time he didn’t do as required, she’d cast him aside and move on to the next.

  She was the coldest person Marci had ever known.

  Inhaling carefully, she allowed all the possibilities she’d had about Stefan to evaporate. By the time she exhaled, he’d been added to the short list of men who had come before him.

  Turning without speaking one word to either of them, Marci returned to the first floor. Opening the front door, she stepped into sunlight that felt real for the first time in a long time.

  Adam held the rear door of her car and she slipped inside with relief. Only when they were driving away from her sociopathic mother could she confront the bruised heart beating in her chest.

  She hadn’t loved Stefan but she was hurt by his betrayal. Bile rose in her throat at the knowledge that she’d been sharing a man sexually with her mother.

  Less than four minutes had passed between stepping into the house to the moment the car door closed behind her. The instant she’d stood in the quiet foyer, listening to the sounds coming from her mother’s bedroom at the top of the stairs, she’d known what she would find.

  There had to be no doubt.

  Ascending quietly, she watched them without blinking before crossing into the luxurious space where her mother spent the majority of her time. She forced herself to see them, to hear them, so she could make no excuses to herself later.

  The time had come to remove such behavior from her life.

  The latest betrayal in a long line of many was a testament to the life she’d led since the day her mother took her jaw between her thumb and fingers, carefully inspecting her face from inches away.

  “Why…you actually turned out rather pretty.” Unwilling to engage, Marci had remained silent. “Hmm. I’ll have to up my game or you’ll think you have a hope of competing with me.”

  At the time, she was sixteen and already familiar with Victoria’s greed and stunning instability.

  In the beginning, she tried to keep males she was interested in away from her home but the elder female Canfield was not above having her followed.

  Ultimately, the boys and young men were no match for the woman who saw them as a pawn to be used against the daughter she viewed as a rival. Marci was not permitted to be smarter or more attractive, was forbidden to seem more socially appealing, and was never to call her “mother.”

  Since the person who’d given birth to her was incapable of emotion, she was glad.

  Victoria thoroughly enjoyed what she considered her daughter’s greatest flaw. “You are too kind. You are a doormat for the world to wipe its’ feet on. It is a fact that makes it so easy to take from you, Marci darling. Continue in your stubborn naiveté. It amuses me.”

  Rampant infidelity and aggressively inappropriate behavior had done nothing to sever her father from the strange draw Victoria seemed to have on men of all ages while he was still alive. Her conduct worsened after his death.

  Days before Pritchard Canfield died, he told his only child, “I know she’s insane. I know she’s made your life hell. I’m sorry for all of it. I can’t change the past but know that I put safety measures in place to protect you and your inheritance. I was too weak to get away from her, Marci. Don’t follow my example. You’re strong, educated, and clever. Use what you know to show the world that you have always been the better woman.”

  The further she got from the house that had turned into an emotional vacuum since her father passed away, the easier it became to fill her lungs and settle her thoughts. There would be no peace until she removed the toxic woman from her life with scalpel precision.

  It was a task that was long overdue.

  Chapter Two

  October 2014

  Nineteen days after catching her mother and former lov
er fucking, the woman who had contributed eggs to her creation arrived at Marci’s building.

  Carlo called when Victoria appeared in the lobby. “I’ll handle this however you wish, Miss Canfield.”

  The staff was well versed in dealing with her mother’s attempts to access her space.

  “Thank you, Carlo. You can allow her up this time. Alert building security that she will have to be removed. I’d rather my team not be required to do it.”

  “Immediately, miss.”

  Standing in her open door, she watched the well-preserved blonde step off the elevator as if she owned the place. Marci’s bodyguards stood at her sides, silent and alert.

  Her apartment was the first thing Marci had purchased with her own money. The moment she turned eighteen, she wanted a home where her mother had never lived.

  Her father had given his blessing and released her trust fund while her mother raged impotently. An apartment belonging to his long-time business associate gave him peace of mind that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else.

  He was the only parent who had ever been allowed inside. The reason why was immediately apparent as her mother approached.

  The first words to leave Victoria’s lips were, “You’re being childish.” With a shake of her head, Marci moved to close the door. In a rare show of emotion, Victoria slammed her hand against it. In her peripheral vision, she saw her bodyguards still in readiness. “You’re being a sore loser, Marci. It isn’t like you. Why haven’t you answered my calls?”

  Lifting her face, she stared into blue-green eyes that were the only feature she’d inherited from her maternal side. “I haven’t answered them because I have nothing to say to you.”

  “Stop this immediately. He’s just a man, darling.”

  Marci blinked. “Yes, like so many others in the world. Yet, you weren’t satisfied until you had the one that belonged to me.” She took a deep breath. “It no longer matters. What do you want, Victoria?”

  “Aren’t you going to invite me inside? Where are your manners?” When she said nothing and didn’t step aside, the chic middle-aged woman sighed in annoyance. To the stoic men in charge of her protection, she hissed, “Go away. This is none of your business.”

  “We must respectfully decline, ma’am,” Tyler replied without looking at her. As the head of her security for the past decade, he was unshakeable.

  Something Victoria should have remembered but likely didn’t rank as important. Hand on her hip, she became combative. “I pay your fucking salary! You’ll do as you’re told.”

  The deceptively lean man turned his head and met her mother’s glare without emotion. “Pardon me, ma’am. You are incorrect. You’ve never paid one dime of my salary. However, even if you had, I wouldn’t leave you alone with a rabid wolf, much less an innocent young woman. Say what you came to say or leave. It makes no difference to me.”

  Heat flamed up Victoria’s face. She opened her mouth…

  “Victoria. What do you want?” Marci could only handle the woman’s tirades for so long.

  Inhaling carefully with narrowed eyes on the bodyguard, she turned and held out an envelope.

  “What’s this?”

  “It is clearly a formal invitation.” Their eyes met but Marci waited, already knowing the words that would follow. “We’re getting married on Saturday.”

  “Congratulations. I won’t be there.”

  “You’re my daughter. You have to be there. What would people think?”

  Leaning against the doorframe, Marci crossed her arms. “Considering you’re marrying the man I was known to be fucking three short weeks ago, I can only imagine.”

  “Don’t be vulgar.”

  “Don’t be a hypocrite.”

  The silence drew out between them. Victoria’s eyes stayed on her and Marci knew she was trying to decide which threat to use to make her cower.

  Those days were long gone.

  In a soft voice that had terrified her as a child, her mother said, “You will be there, Marci. If you aren’t, I’ll shut down the shelter. You know how much I hate it and I know it’s your pet project. I have the leverage to have every man, woman, and child back on the streets by tomorrow morning.”

  “You’re no better than a rat who eats its young, Victoria.”

  Fury flashed in the other woman’s eyes. “You will be there, Marci. You will walk into that hotel, sign your name to the guest book, and show the world how happy you are for me.”

  “Here’s my counter-offer. If you leave now and never speak to me again, the press won’t hear a whisper about what my life has been like with you as a parent.”

  “I’ll take everything you love from you, Marci. Don’t start a fight you can’t win.”

  For several seconds, she stared into the face of insanity without blinking. “Victoria, what you fail to realize is that I’ve never attempted to fight you. I’ve allowed you the freedom to be a grasping, greedy thing. Part of it was fascination of your insanity. The rest of it was the knowledge that I needed to reach a certain place in my life to do what must be done.” She smiled slowly. “I’ve arrived.”

  “Don’t push me, daughter dear.”

  Standing upright and tossing the embossed invitation over her shoulder, Marci stepped into the hall, closer to her mother. Their gazes locked and Victoria’s irrationality glowed.

  “Grandmother signed over enough of her shares to make me the majority shareholder in the primary corporation, which trickles into the subsidiaries. When I explained your latest little game, she was beyond livid. She made the offer when Dad died but I wasn’t ready.”

  Tilting her head, she added, “You work for me, Victoria. Over the last week, I have removed every man and woman you fucked on the board. They didn’t inform you because I have a team of attorneys prepared to keep them in court for the next decade over non-disclosure violations, conflicts of interest, and blatant misconduct. I’ll leave you the cash, the house in the Hamptons, and the investments my father was good enough to gift you despite your despicable behavior during your marriage. The rest is mine. It has always been mine.”

  “No one will choose you over me, Marci.”

  “Naturally, you’d think that. I finally understand why Dad insisted I intern at Winters Enterprises before giving me my first position. He told me if I could survive there, I’d have the tools to run his company. It was brutal but I learned more in the first three months than all my years at college. Last week, Mr. Winters gave me an hour of his time to review my projections. He agreed to chair the restructured board.”

  “He’s a cold bastard…”

  “Perhaps. However, he never fell victim to you and he’s considered the most calculating businessman on the East Coast.” She shrugged. “The board meets four times a year. Lola already put the dates on his calendar.”

  “You did all this behind my back. How dare you?”

  “You did far worse behind my back. I’m simply removing you from my life. Congratulations on your pending nuptials. Please be out of the brownstone by the end of the year.”

  “You think you can dismiss me?” Victoria’s words came through gritted teeth.

  “I think nothing of the sort. I absolutely guarantee it.”

  Glancing over her mother’s shoulder, she smiled at two of the security staff for the building who’d approached in silence from the stairs seconds after her mother stepped into the hall.

  “This woman was just leaving. Would you mind escorting her to the exit?”

  The men nodded and gestured politely to the elevator.

  “This isn’t close to over, Marci.”

  “It’s not only over, it happened so fast that it will take you months to sort out exactly what I’ve done. If you don’t like it, I suggest you hire a lawyer. Dad recorded your adultery and other activities for years. Those recordings were part of my inheritance and I will use them to take back what I’ve been kind enough to let you keep.”

  “You think to threaten me!”
/>   “Not a threat…a promise. Goodbye, Mother. Always unpleasant to see you.” Then she walked into her apartment and closed the door. She heard Victoria’s muffled scream through the heavy metal and smiled.

  Leaning against the cool surface, she exhaled roughly. “You finally fucking grew a pair.”

  Chapter Three

  As Marci stepped from the car to the curb later that night, she could see that Trois was packed. She pulled her coat more fully around her in the brisk fall evening.

  Adam smiled. “You look lovely, miss. Call whenever you’re ready.”

  In his late fifties, Adam had been assigned as her driver and personal armed security since she was twelve. She considered him family.

  “Thank you, Adam. Turn in for the night and I’ll take a cab back to the building.”

  “Miss Canfield…”

  “I insist. I won’t keep you waiting for me when I have no idea how long I’ll be here. It isn’t right and you’ve been working around the clock. Take a few days off and enjoy them, Adam. Please. You do so much for me.” She winked. “I know your lady love must miss you.”

  The older man blushed. “Are you sure, Marci?” She nodded. “Thank you.” He pivoted to walk around the car and paused, turning back. “I remember the day you were born. Your father was frantic. He would be incredibly proud of the woman you’ve become, Marci.”

  “Thank you. Go before I start crying on the sidewalk. I’ll call you.”

  With a jaunty salute, she watched as he rounded the front of the vehicle and slipped into the driver’s seat. Seconds later, he was pulling away from the curb.

  Glancing in the opposite direction, she nodded at the car parked less than ten feet away that would continue to follow her. Tyler stood outside the car, his partner was behind the wheel. There would be a second team posted at the rear entrance and a third in the alleyway.

  No matter her age or level of power, a security detail around the clock was part of her life. It was an essential aspect to being the sole heiress of a fortune that exceeded billions in assets.