Thumper (The Mandarin Connection Book 8) Read online

“Have we any news on that blasted assassin? Werhner” he asked, suddenly irritated.

  “We don’t even know if that’s his real name, brother. Or if he exists, at all!” Harlon reminded.

  He sensed he was losing this game, and fast.

  Harlon Calloway played his last remaining card.

  “I have Om Jaeger, brother!” he sneered.

  Walter Reighland did something that Harlon rarely had seen. He looked shocked.

  “Well, then. Perhaps you can be of some limited use, after all!” he said.

  Harlon waited a moment, to be sure his victory would be fully savored.

  “I have his woman, too! Barbara! And, soon, my brother, I will have his sons! And, after that, we shall be the only ones to possess the secret of the OCTAVIUS serum!” he crowed in triumph.

  “I have to go, Harlon. It is good that you have done this. I am proud of you,” said Walter Reighland.

  Harlon felt, not love, but a sudden kinship with the voice on the other end of the phone.

  “Where are you going now, Brother?” he asked.

  “I have a date, with an old flame. Sarah Ghent. Her stepson Brett is about to become a billionaire! And, her daughter, Katy is a very lucky lady, indeed!” he cackled.

  “Oh! And, I almost forgot! Have you ever heard of a company called ‘Pecker’?” he said.

  Walter Reighland’s laughter rung in his brother’s ears long after he had hung up.

  THE END OF

  ‘THUMPER’

  THE MANDARIN CONNECTION SERIES

  By Stephanie Brother

  Just for YOU, dear readers, I am including SPECIAL BONUS EXCERPTS from all of the previous Mandarin Connection books!

  Enjoy!

  Steph

  SPECIAL BONUS EXCERPT ONE:

  Billionaire Stepbrother - Addiction - The Complete Series

  Kady and Brett Were in Love – Unfortunately, So Were Their Parents!

  When Brett's sudden business success propels him to the upper echelons of the rich and famous, things take a decidedly unusual turn.

  Kady and Brett are thrust into a web of lies and deceit, Kady finds her heart won't let her abandon her forbidden desires.

  Will their love be dashed upon the rocks of unforgiving tradition?

  Can she and her man emerge victorious?

  Follow the passionate, romantic and VERY HOT adventures of these two different couples, as their worlds are suddenly turned upside down, and as they struggle to come to terms with what is right, wrong, forbidden or even possible!

  Billionaire Stepbrother - Addiction - The Complete Series is a stepbrother romance novella with no cliffhangers, and a very satisfying happy ending.

  Book 1 of the Mandarin Connection series by Stephanie Brother

  ----------------------------------------------------

  Kady was on the rebound, having weathered a disastrous relationship with a fellow classmate named Jeff, who was one of the Varsity golf team players.

  She had caught him cheating on her with another member of the Varsity golf team, whose name was Juan Rodriguez.

  She was more amused than disgusted or surprised.

  She always had a pretty good gaydar, and it surprised her that Jeff had been so attentive to her needs.

  She chalked it up to experience, and decided she just wanted a night to decompress.

  On a whim, she called Brett, since he was in the same vicinity.

  His new offices were located in a trendy area of the city, near the riverfront.

  There were many fine eating and drinking establishments along the river walk.

  Perhaps she’d get lucky, and find a nice young man to tickle her fancy…or fuck her righteously.

  She chuckled a bit at that thought.

  She’d been pretty plain vanilla in her last couple of relationships, always holding herself back a tiny bit.

  She wasn’t really sure why, and it never occurred to her that she was aching for Brett to be her lover.

  Kady walked around the shops, killing time while waiting for Brett to arrive.

  They had agreed to an Italian joint that had great pizza and cold beer.

  She couldn’t drink, of course, but there would be plenty of college aged guys who might find a bit of Dutch courage, and ask her to go home with them.

  Kady found she was unusually aroused by the thought, but did not even connect her state with Brett’s arrival.

  He saw her and waved, and they walked to the restaurant.

  Brett’s sudden fame had not translated to recognition and being known by the frat crowd, but the owners of the various establishments knew full well who was loaded and who deserved special attention.

  Neither Brett nor Kady found it unusual to be seated at the finest seats in the house within seconds of having entered.

  They were so caught up in each other’s attentions, they were oblivious to the ballet and choreographed situation in which they were the center attraction.

  As they ordered a white pizza, with basil and sun-dried tomatoes, water glasses magically appeared, filled with San Pellegrino.

  A slice of lemon was in each marvelous goblet, and then fresh baked bread with bruschetta graced their table.

  They talked and ate, giggling at their shared stories about their parents.

  The waiters moved precisely into position at the most beneficial time, removing or adding an item as was needed.

  It was perfectly orchestrated to provide the ultimate dining experience.

  Kady said, through a mouthful of pizza, that she was only slightly pissed about Jeff and Juan.

  “What’s that?” asked Brett.

  “Oh, you know,” she said archly. “All the good ones are either taken or gay!”

  They both laughed at that.

  “Or your step-relation,” she added, whimsically.

  Brett almost choked on his food.

  He coughed and manfully washed it down with some water, trying mightily to not seem so taken aback.

  Kady laughed, and pointed at him, at first.

  Suddenly, she looked at him, realizing that he was truly in some manner of distress.

  “Garçon!” she yelled.

  Almost instantly, four waiters appeared, ready to assist.

  Brett assured them he was fine, but he had spilled some water on his shirt.

  He excused himself, to go to the men’s room to clean up.

  He walked into the bathroom to clean up, and noticed over his shoulder as a large, somewhat inebriated man heading towards Kady.

  He shrugged and went in to find a towel.

  Kady was mortified when she considered what she had said to Brett.

  His reaction was predictable, now that she thought about it.

  How could she have been so stupid, to think he had the same feelings for her as she had for him?

  She felt more alone and down than she had for a very long time.

  She remembered how things had gone south at her mother’s wedding, and that she had thought long and hard on that situation, for months.

  She had thought she was finally past the issue of her true emotions about Brett, and had put it behind her.

  Yet, here she was, facing it once again.

  Maybe it was the San Pellegrino, or the fact that this had been one of the easiest dates she had ever been on…

  Wait a minute.

  Did she really think Brett and she were on an actual date?

  Was that what was going on here?

  Had she gotten so caught up in the romantic notions in her silly head that she was actually entertaining the idea of them being on a date?

  Her thoughts were occupying her so deeply that she did not really see the large, rugged man sit down next to her.

  “Hey, gorgeous!” he said to her.

  “My name’s Scott!” he said, smiling cheerfully.

  He stuck out a hand, and she considered not shaking, but then decided to be polite after all.

  He gently gripped her hand, and gent
ly brought it to his lips.

  She supposed he thought he was being gallant, but his sloppy kiss left a fair amount of his saliva on her skin.

  She found herself repulsed, and shocked.

  He grinned, and took Brett’s napkin and rubbed his spit from her hand.

  “Sorry, darlin’,” he drawled. “Didn’t mean to do that…”

  “It’s okay,” she said, feeling everything was totally NOT okay.

  Her realization that this drunken guy was hitting on her brought her back to reality, like an ice-cold slap to her face.

  She got very wary and also decided to end this encounter as quickly as possible.

  “What’s your name, beautiful?” asked Scott.

  “I’m sorry, umm, Scott?” she said.

  “Sorry for what, sweetheart?” he said.

  “Well, Scott, quite frankly I am here with a friend. I am truly sorry, but we already have plans,” she said.

  Scott’s eyes darkened, but his smile remained.

  “Well, the more the merrier, I always say!” he feigned a good-natured response, but she picked up on his innate jealousy instantly.

  “Let me buy you a real drink, honey,” he said.

  He motioned to one of the worried-looking waiters, who started over.

  “I’m only nineteen, Scott,” she said.

  She waved the waiter away.

  “Ah, hell, baby! I won’t tell, you won’t,” he said, slurring his words a bit.

  “I don’t roll that way, Scott,” she continued, “and my friend is coming back in a minute, and we will be leaving. We have plans, as I mentioned.”

  She raised her eyebrows and moved in her chair to present a blocking body language, looking over in the direction of the rest rooms.

  She wished Brett would hurry back.

  Scott grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

  “Look here, bitch” he said.

  “I was only trying to be friendly. Why did you have to go and make it something serious?” he said.

  He had his nose pressed up close to her face, and his breath reeked of cheap booze.

  Apparently, he had been drinking for quite some time before he had gotten to the pizza place.

  He seemed as though he was about to actually kiss her, when a hand grasped his shoulder.

  “Hey buddy, why don’t you leave?” asked Brett.

  He had appeared from nowhere, like a ghost.

  Brett dropped his hands into a relaxed posture that looked harmless, to the uninitiated.

  A seasoned fighter would have known at that point to back down.

  Brett was as taught as a wound spring, but also as flexible as a whip.

  Scott eyed Brett, looking him up and down.

  He’d been in a few brawls, and even in his drunken stupor, some part of his brain must have recognized the danger.

  Then, his mouth wrote a check he would never be able to cash.

  Scott said “Why don’t you make me, faggot?”

  He swung on Brett, which was a very drastic mistake.

  Brett had been a Tang Soo Do champion in high school and on the martial arts team during his first year of college.

  His other courses soon took more precedence in his life, but he always found time once a week to spar and just let off steam at the dojo.

  Sometimes, he would ask to instruct a class, and was always welcomed.

  Scott, a pretty burly man, had swung high, so Brett ducked under him, and grabbed his shoulder.

  He kept the man spinning around, until his back was to Brett.

  Then, Brett kicked him in the backside, and shoved him over the table.

  The man crashed onto the ground, but was up almost instantly.

  He grabbed a wine bottle and broke the neck off on a corner of the table.

  Brandishing it fiercely, he growled at Brett.

  “Come on, you pussy!” he yelled.

  “I don’t want any trouble!” said Brett.

  Brett spread his arms wide, and gestured with his hands to make it appear he was waving off any conflict.

  “If you leave now, I will pay for the damages and your dinners.”

  In reality, he was gaining momentum to make a very delicate strike, and his concentration was at its highest.

  He tried to ignore Kady, who was taking all of this in with her hands near to her mouth.

  Scott yelled “You fuckin’ cunt!” at Kady, and then he waved the bottle at Brett.

  He was setting himself up to charge, and Brett tried one last time.

  “Seriously, this is a big mistake,” he said to Scott.

  Brett looked at the man, knowing his generous gestures were futile.

  The man was too angry and had already lost a lot of face.

  An aggravated assault charge was something he was not able to fully conceive, in his state.

  Brett had given the man an out, but Scott was determined to fight.

  He lunged at Brett.

  Click here to continue reading “Billionaire Stepbrother - Addiction - The Complete Series”.

  B015WXHTIK

  SPECIAL BONUS EXCERPT TWO:

  Haunted: A Stepbrother Romance

  Brian Cox is an alpha male reality show producer, ladies’ man, and Kim Wilder's secret love.

  When Kim was just eight, Brian's father had married her mother.

  Their parents had a rocky marriage, and it finally culminated in a dramatic event that tore them asunder.

  Brian's father was a man fighting many inner demons.

  One night, in a drunken rage, he forcefully ejected Brian from their home.

  What happened to them the next day meant that Brian and Kim would be apart for the next twelve years.

  Kim became a successful journalist, with a video blog she started called "The Wilder Thing".

  One day, she gets an invite to be on the top-rated reality television show, "Haunted".

  Brian Cox is now the notorious bad boy producer of the show, which has become hugely successful and made him famous.

  Kim can't wait to see him again, but isn't sure of her feelings because of how things ended between them.

  Brian's escapades are plastered across the tabloids - he always has a beautiful glamour gal on his arm whenever he's caught out on the town.

  Kim hopes that seeing Brian again help her let go of the painful memories of the night they parted.

  Of course, nothing ever goes as planned!

  During a meeting of sponsors for the show, an unexpected event causes both of them to reevaluate their old relationship.

  A romantic turn takes both of them by surprise with its intensity.

  Toss in a hint of mystery and danger, and suddenly the game is afoot!

  Can they discover the hidden secrets behind Indian Wells State Park?

  How will their long-buried feelings for each other affect their professional relationship?

  Kim is determined not to risk her heart on Brian...but she is finding that being close to him is mesmerizing and intoxicating.

  A man used to always getting what he wants, Brian finds that he is becoming infatuated with Kim. What he gets is more than he ever expected!

  HAUNTED is a stepbrother romance novella with no cliffhangers, and a very satisfying happy ending.

  No cliffhangers.

  HEA guaranteed.

  Book 2 of the Mandarin Connection series by Stephanie Brother

  ----------------------------------------------------

  KIM

  I really can't believe that after all these years I'm finally going to see my stepbrother again.

  Brian is a really lucky bastard, that's for sure.

  He’s the head of his own production company; internationally famous; producer of one of the highest rated faux-documentary shows in the world.