INVESTED (Dunning Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  INVESTED

  By

  Iris Bolling

  Copyright © 2017 by Iris Bolling

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Printed in the United States of America

  ISBN- 978-0-9990176-0-9

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2017910064

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

  SIRI AUSTIN ENTERTAINMENT LLC

  PO Box 937

  Mechanicsville, VIRGINIA 23111

  [email protected]

  http://www.siriaustin.com

  http://www.irisbolling.net

  Books By Iris Bolling

  The Heart Series

  Once You’ve Touched The Heart

  The Heart of Him

  Look Into My Heart

  A Heart Divided

  A Lost Heart

  The Heart

  Night of Seduction Series

  Night of Seduction/Heaven’s Gate

  The Pendleton Rule

  Gems and Gents Series

  Teach Me

  The Book of Joshua I – Trust

  The Book of Joshua II – Believe

  A Lassiter’s Christmas

  Ruby…Red Slippers & All

  The Book of Adam – Hypnotic

  Brooks Family Values Series

  Sinergy

  Fatal Mistake

  Propensity For Love

  The Dunnings

  Invested

  Table of Content

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Epilogue

  Books By Iris

  Dedication

  Dahl Olivia Haynes, lovingly known as Locksie Locks to authors and readers, this story is dedicated to you.

  Sometimes people have no idea how much of an impact they have on your life with just a simple word or phrase or conversation. Locksie is a no hold back, teach you as she scowls you, loving mother with a kick-ass accent. She is a member of ARC INC, a book club that was there to support me early on. SiStar Tea, Debbie Shai Deb, English Ruler, Delonya Conyers, and Locksie Locks all had an impact on me that will never be forgotten. The late night and early morning calls from SiStar Tea, the strikes form Debbie Shai Deb, and the writing challenges from English kept me on my toes during my first series. But it was Locksie Locks calls that left me in tears at times. However, those calls made me a better writer. We don’t talk as much now, however, I know when I put a book out she id going to read it. I’ll wait, biting nails to see if I’m going to get a call from her. LOL. No call is a good thing. I say all of this to tell you all, my way of honoring Locksie Locks is INVESTED. Jonathan Michael is molded from stories Locksie shared with me about her family. Thank you, Locksie fro the lessons, the laughter, the tears, nail biting, but most of all for the calls. It is an honor to put “ARC CERTIFIED” on my list of accomplishments.

  Prologue

  Hepburn Dunning envisioned the last day of his life differently. Lying in his bed with his beautiful wife Winnieford, whom he called Winnie, and his five children standing around with pride, and of course sadness in their eyes. He really did not expect it to look like this.

  "Daddy." AnnieMarie stopped her movement on the elliptical machine. She calmly turned towards him.

  “Help me to understand. Cainan is a good man. You have him on your board of directors. A board you put him on without a vote from all the members. That demonstrates to me what you think of him. Please, explain why you forbid us to see each other?”

  Hepburn turned away from his beautiful baby girl. Seeing the hurt in her eyes tore at his heart. If he had known about the budding romance, he would have put a stop to it sooner. At this point it seems the relationship was more advanced than he thought. To complicate matters, Annie, as he called his youngest child, was right. Cainan Scott was one of the most honorable young men he had the pleasure of knowing. Under other circumstances he would welcome the man into Annie’s life with open arms. However, life isn't always fair. The circumstances are what they are.

  He placed the towel capturing the sweat from his run on the treadmill around his shoulder, then glanced out the floor to ceiling windows that surrounded the roof top gym of Dunning Bank & Trust. This was his morning refuge. His get-a-way spot before employees began filing in the room for their morning workouts. Hep had asked AnnieMarie to join him for his routine 7 a.m. workout to discuss Cainan Scott. He did not imagine it would be this difficult. Knowing he had to stand his ground, for giving in could put her life in jeopardy, he took a deep breath.

  "Have I ever interfered in your relationships?" he snapped as he turned back to face her.

  "No, Daddy, you haven't." AnnieMarie stepped off the machine and wiped her face with a towel. "That is why I don't understand why you are doing it now. What are you not telling me?"

  He could hear her anger elevating as she spoke. Her expressive eyes reflecting confusion and hurt could not deter him from what he had to do, no matter how much she looked like her mother with her hair up in a ponytail.

  "I'm your father and I am telling you not to see this man socially," he yelled as he walked between the circuit equipment toward her. "I am not going to repeat myself on this, AnnieMarie. You break things off with this man or I will do it for you. Have I made myself clear?"

  AnnieMarie took a step back. "No, Daddy. You are damn sure loud enough. However, your clarity seems to be escaping me at the moment. I’ve never seen you this upset. Well, once, but that was directed at Uncle Walker. It would be okay if I knew why. It is so unlike you to take such an unyielding stance. You have always listened to reason.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she took a step toward him. "In case you’ve forgotten, I'm a grown woman. I can make my own decisions on the man I wish to be involved with. Now..." She stepped back as she stared him directly in his eyes. "I respect you, and in most situations would take your advice. However, we are talking about my heart here. I love this man and I am not willing to walk away from him without you giving me some insight other than your cave
man mentality of over protectiveness."

  His baby girl was so much like her mother. Hep wanted to laugh at her standing her ground with hands on hips ready to fight for her man. If it were any other man he would be impressed. However, it was Cainan Scott and for her own good he had to put a stop to this relationship. He’d rather have her angry and not speaking to him than dead. Well, he had to think about that for a minute. He did not like when his Annie wasn't speaking to him. It was as if his heart was breaking into small pieces with each passing moment.

  "Now you listen to me, AnnieMarie Dunning. You continue to see this man and I will fire him. If you disobey me after that, I will disown you and make the ground both of you walk on a living hell."

  AnnieMarie’s mouth gaped open. "Do you plan on firing me too? Are you speaking for yourself or the entire family?" She waived him off. "You know, it doesn't matter who you are speaking for, you lose. I would stay with Cainan simply because he would not put me in the impossible position to choose between him and my family. If I have to choose between being with him and speaking to you ever again, I choose him." She turned, walked down the open row, pushed the button to the elevator and waited.

  Knowing it was an empty threat, Hepburn walked from the row of elliptical and treadmills as he called out to her.

  "AnnieMarie, wait."

  The center elevator door opened. She stepped inside, turned back to him then pushed the button.

  "Goodbye, Daddy."

  "Annie," Hepburn sighed as the doors closed.

  Turning towards the shower rooms, Hep shook his head then sat on a weight bench near the elevators. The thought of his daughter's anger ate at him. AnnieMarie was his baby and always had him wrapped around her finger. Hell, she had all of them wrapped around that little finger. Right now he was sure AnnieMarie was going straight to Myles’ office to complain about him being unreasonable. In a minute or two he expected Myles to come upstairs to confront him. He sighed and thought. It was time to let Myles, his oldest son, in on the situation. He was certain once Myles knew all the details he would understand that as the father it was his duty to protect AnnieMarie's life. Her being involved with Cainan put her life in jeopardy. He thought he would be able to have a reasonable discussion with her about the man. That's why he approached her first. Now, he would have to go to Cainan and pray he would be more reasonable.

  He shook his head, but had to smile at his daughter's stance. She was indeed her mother's child. Standing, he had to laugh at the thought of his wife’s response to this when he told her about it. Winnieford would get a good laugh out of her daughter’s actions. She would probably cheer on AnnieMarie.

  He started walking towards the shower rooms when he heard the elevator bell.

  Turning, he briskly retraced his steps to the elevator thinking it was AnnieMarie coming back with Myles. He would simply gather her in his arms and hug her until she could feel how much he loved her. Then he would take Myles aside to tell him the details on Cainan.

  The doors opened, but no one stepped out.

  "Annie," Hep called out. His steps slowed as he got to the elevator. Pulling the towel from his shoulder he looked inside. Before he could react a gloved hand jabbed a syringe into his chest.

  "What the..."

  He reached for the person, but his body felt weak. He could feel a warm liquid flowing through his veins. No longer able to support his body, his knees began to buckle. He could feel the movement of the person's thumb against the syringe as more of the substance was pushed through. The sound of the other elevator approaching caused the person to withdraw the syringe, step back into the elevator and push the button.

  Hepburn fell to his knees, still unable to hold his body up. His eyes held the eyes of the person as the elevator doors closed. It was in that moment he knew he was going to die. This was that day. Winnie's face appeared in his mind. His children, in different stages of their lives with smiles on their faces, ran through like the credits at the end of a movie. Then the face of the person in the elevator, who was taking all of that away, replaced the smiles of his loved ones.

  He heard the doors of the other elevator open.

  "You simply have to talk some sense into him, Myles." Hep heard AnnieMarie say as they stepped out.

  Maybe, just maybe, Hep thought, but then a pain so fierce gripped his chest that he cried out.

  "Dad!" Myles came to his side. "Dad!"

  "Daddy," AnnieMarie cried out as she fell to her knees beside him. "Daddy, no....Daddy."

  Hepburn grabbed his chest as he watched his oldest son and his baby girl frantic at his side.

  "Get the elevator, Annie," Myles ordered as he picked his father up. He carried him to the elevator then laid him on the floor.

  AnnieMarie hit the emergency button then knelt down beside her father. "I'm sorry, Daddy, I'm sorry."

  Hep reached for her but was unable to speak. She took his hand. Hepburn looked at Myles who was frantically working on him. He tried to move his lips. Nothing came out. He had to tell Myles, raced desperately through his mind.

  The security officer’s voice came over the speakers. "Is there a problem?"

  "This is Myles, Mr. Dunning has collapsed. Call an ambulance. It looks like a heart attack. We are in the center elevator."

  "On it, sir," the guard's urgent voice responded.

  "Myles, do something," AnnieMarie cried out. "Please don't let this happen."

  Hepburn grabbed his son's arm with all the strength he could and pulled him to his lips.

  Against his son's cheek he mouthed the name, "Scott, Scott."

  Myles took his father's hand in his then held his eyes, nodding. "Hold on, Dad. Hold on."

  Hepburn’s eyes held his son's for a long moment. He was so proud of the man Myles had become. He knew Myles would now be the head of the family. He needed to know his enemies.

  "Son," he mouthed just as the elevator doors opened.

  The EMTs were there, as his grip on his son’s arm weakened. His eyes were closing. He could feel his mind shutting down. Hep looked to the heavens above. His only request was to see his wife’s smiling face one last time.

  Chapter One

  "In financial news, Hepburn Ellington Dunning, the president and CEO of Dunning Bank & Trust, was laid to rest a month ago. In addition to mourning the loss of her husband of thirty-eight years, today, Winnieford Dunning will join the board of directors in naming a predecessor to one of the most prestigious banks in the country. The financial world is watching closely, for today's decision will impact number one ranked Phase International, as well as number two-ranked America's Bank in the country. The question on the table is who will take over the leadership role of the nation's largest African-American owned bank. The predecessor will have large shoes to fill, for Hep Dunning was well on the path of moving Dunning Bank & Trust up the ranks with significant acquisitions on the table. The top two, as deemed by the financial world, are awaiting the decision as Dunning's number three ranking continues to threaten their place as the top financial institutions in the world. Who will be at the helm of Dunning and will the new President and CEO have the tenacity to go up against the ranking top two? This is reporter Robert Tannery for The Financial Review."

  Myles Dunning switched the station on his radio as he drove to work. This was going to be a trying morning for his family, but one that was needed to move forward.

  "This is Lindsey Grant with the Wall Street Review. Dunning Bank & Trust is to name a new President and CEO today. The top two financial institutions in the world shared a sigh of relief that could be heard across the country at the sudden death of Hepburn E. Dunning. Why? Let's be honest here, Dunning Bank & Trust was well on the heels of a historical number two ranking with current acquisitions in the negotiation stage. Never before in this country have we experienced number one Phase International and number two America's Bank sharing anything. Yet, today their collective breaths await the decision to see who Dunning will turn the reins over to. This reporte
r believes it will stay in the family. My only question on the table is will it revert to the brother, Walker Dunning Jr., or go to one of the sons. The decision could prove to be significant for the world's financial stability. Back to you, Jim."

  Myles pulled into his parking space in the underground garage, wondering what the day would bring. All he knew for certain was the new CEO would have big shoes to fill. He had no intentions of running for the position and planned to support whoever is chosen. However, and it was a big however, he would not allow William Mitchell, the Vice-President of Dunning, to succeed in taking over his family's bank.

  "Good morning, Mr. Dunning." Chrystina Price, his Executive Assistant, met him at the elevator. "You are late. I'm not going to ask why because I can see from the dirt on your shoes you stopped by your father's grave site before coming."

  Looking down at his shoes, Myles shook his head at how observant she was. He was reaching for his handkerchief when she bent down and was wiping his shoes off with her scarf.

  “There.” She stood back up and smiled. “You look good.”

  “Good morning, Chrystina,” he all but laughed. “I see you are as efficient as ever.”

  “Only for you, Mr. Dunning. The board meeting is about to begin. Here is your portfolio. Your reports are edited and ready for distribution to the directors.” She took his briefcase. “I’ll put this in your office.” The elevator doors opened. They stepped out. Myles turned towards the boardroom as Chrystina walked in the opposite direction.

  “Remember,” she whispered loudly as they separated. “Anyone but Mitch.”

  Myles put up a hand acknowledging her statement, then continued to the meeting.

  #

  Today's meeting of the board of directors for Dunning Bank and Trust was certainly out of the ordinary. The historical banner reading "Family Integrity First and Foremost" hung on the back wall as a reminder of what the business was all about. Seated around the oval shaped cherry-wood table, in the conference room on the eighth floor of the downtown Richmond landmark headquarters building, were directors with very solemn faces. No one thought this day would come this soon. After twenty years as President and CEO of DBT, Hepburn Ellington Dunning was not present to lead them.