The Billionaire's Proposition: The Romero Brothers (Billionaire Romance), #4

CHAPTER ONE

They can’t get away with this! Carl Romero declared, slamming a copy of The Hills Times newspaper on the desk in the study at Romero Manor. His eyes were just assaulted with the latest headline: Party Playboy to Join Mayoral Race –A Joke!

The shock of the morning headline struck him full force in the gut like a steel bat to his flesh. A vein throbbed in his temple. Heat burned through his body while he processed the insulting jab towards him in the news.

I haven’t even officially announced my intention to run yet! Carl finished. That was true, though he had spoken about it publicly before when interrogated by a reporter. He hadn’t made an official announcement but it seemed as if his dirty opponent in the upcoming race, Dayton Leechwood, was intent on having Carl’s bridges burned before he had a chance to even cross it. Well, he’d be damned if he let that happen. The current mayor, Ruben Smith, was plagued by scandal and drug use lately and the city of Mayberry was ready for a change in power.

Calm down, Carl, Toni, his grandfather and patriarch of the Romero dynasty, ordered. Toni was no stranger to conflicts. The widower had married his young nurse, Shelly, to the chagrin of his grandson Antonio. But he loved his boys and he’d be damned if they caved in to pressure like this.

The family had convened, once again, for a family meeting. This happened quite a bit, though the Romeros were successful in various industries, they often gathered when urgent matters arose at the sprawling 16,000-square foot luxury estate with its breathtaking views of the hills of Mayberry Hill and its own winery and vineyard. They also never forgot that family came first in a crisis.    

They want you to react this way. Don’t play into their hands, Toni admonished. Remember that life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety-percent how you respond. That’s what makes or breaks you.

Not long ago, family members had convened in the same area of the mansion’s luxurious study when Lucas was in hot water with a pregnancy claim from a woman he had allegedly dated. Zack, too, had been the center of undesired media attention when his ex-girlfriend threatened to sell a sex tape of their Vegas rendezvous in a blackmail attempt. Carl was the one to organize a team to dig up the location of said video recording. Never in Carl’s mind would he have thought that he, too, would be the victim of harsh and defaming rumors! And now? Right on the verge of his political career.

Dios Mio!

He’s right, bro, Jules added. Not only was Jules Carl’s ever-protective brother, he was also co-owner of their successful business, R.M. Fitness Centers. Just do your stuff. Don’t pay any attention to the haters.

The haters? Anger flared through Carl’s being. That’s easier said than done, Jules. The voters will be reading what those damn haters are saying about me.

Carl leaned against the study desk at Romero Manor, his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a black suit with crisp white shirt and blue tie. How appropriate that he’d worn his dark suit today, since his mood was anything but bright.

So what if he was a member of the most prominent family in the province? The Romero family, thanks to their wealthy real estate tycoon and philanthropist grandfather, was popular not just for its contribution to society but also for the headlines the single Romero men often made.

But it didn’t start off that way. They had only met their famous grandfather in their teens since their father didn’t actually know his real dad, Toni. Before Toni had mentored them into self-made trendsetters in various industries the boys had suffered the tragic loss of their mother and their father lost his job, rendering them desperate and destitute. They’d lost their home and lived out of their father’s minivan for a little while until the authorities stepped in. It wasn’t all fun and games growing up. But the humility and difficulty during that period taught them to never forget where they came from. They knew in their hearts that a minor setback was a setup for a major comeback. And come back they did. Currently, Carl, along with his six brothers—and their cousin Antonio III, was on the Forbes list of wealthiest entrepreneurs in the world.

Carl knew the haters thought of him as an over-privileged dilettante. But none of the Romero boys coasted through life on their grandfather’s back.

His cousin, Antonio III, was a real estate tycoon, like their grandfather. His brother, Lucas, was founder of the popular software and app Healthy Start Program. Zack Romero, often dubbed the real playboy in the family until his recent marriage, owned a successful winery and vineyard and created more jobs than any other family-owned business. Dion and Troy ran the most lucrative international business college that boasted thousands of successful online and in-class graduates, and his younger brother, Dr. Alonso Romero, developed both affordable and state-of-the-art medical and plastic surgery clinics all over the world. The plastic surgery clinics helped burn victims with reasonably-priced reconstructive surgeries.

Carl, though his international health club was flourishing, knew what it meant to be from a low-income family and wanted to do things a lot differently in the city as its mayor. But would he even get the chance? Property taxes were already sky high in the city. How could people afford to pay their mortgages with the skyrocketing taxes on their homes? And what about affordable daycare for families on modest incomes?

Get this, Carl growled, picking up the newspaper again and reading another paragraph from the article. What does Carl Romero know about struggling families?...the man is a party prince from a wealthy family who is out of touch with reality.

He threw the paper back down on the desk. Can you imagine? Me! Out of touch with reality?

Man, if they only knew how out of touch with reality we were when we went to bed hungry in Dad’s car every night, late at night in the coldest dark days of winter, Jules chuckled, devoid of any humor.

This was not how Carl anticipated his first few days back in Canada to be. The Romeros had recently returned from Jamaica, not even a week, from his brother Zack’s island wedding to Blue Monroe. His brother and Blue, an ex-reporter, were still on honeymoon. But, oh, he wished he could get some insider information from his new sister-in-law about the inner workings of the press and their crazy antics.

Right now, Carl was on a mission and he damned well could do without this little tabloid-like reporting fiasco.

Carl, along with his brother Jules, headed R.M. Fitness Centers, which not only had a state-of-the-art run health club facility but they had a morning program for youngsters addressing eating well and trying to get better food choices in the schools. For as long as he’d known he could, Carl always wanted to make a difference. Like always. And his heart had always been in politics. Running a city. Or heck, maybe even a province or the country one day. Who knew? He was young and he was ambitious. His motto was always to live life to the fullest. Work hard, play harder—was how the Romeros ran things and they were rarely intimidated.

That wasn’t all the papers reported. Toni got up from his recliner by the massive stone fireplace that was nestled within the wall of bookshelves.

What’s that supposed to mean? Carl asked, arching a brow. Oh, no. What was his grandfather getting at now? He had a gut feeling he knew what else his old man was going to chime in with.  

Marriage.

And there it was. The M word always seemed to make its way into conversations where their grandfather was concerned. Toni Romero believed betrothal would solve all of his grandsons’ woes.

Jules shook his head, a grin plastered on his face. Now how did I know Gramps was going to go there?

Pamela, their young press secretary, was taking notes while she gazed at her own copy of the paper. She had already added her input to the heated discussion earlier. Image. Image was everything, she had rapped to him. Especially in the political arena.

Marriage? Carl repeated; he was incredulous. Now he knew he’d heard it all. Grandfather, what does marriage have to do with any of this? Just because I’m alone, it doesn’t mean I’m lonely. And that was the truth. Carl never experienced a deficit when it came to a  hot date whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted. Women were often throwing themselves at him in all kinds of social settings.

Fair enough. But marriage is not just about sex. It’s about being with someone committed to you for life, showering you with unconditional love. Someone who brings out the best in you and more importantly, who encourages you and brings you happiness. I know you boys hate to hear it. The old patriarch hunched his shoulders innocently. But...it is what it is. If you were married, my grandson, they wouldn’t be able to call you an out-of-touch-with-reality party boy bachelor, or whatever it is they called you, Toni finished, addressing yet another section of the derogatory article.

Carl leaned back on the study again. Tilting his head back and grinning despite his anger. Granddad, I think you’ve gone a bit far. Blaming me for what others are saying about me.

He does have a point, Carl. Pamela placed her notebook and her copy of The Hills Times down on the table beside her and joined in on the conversation. As I said earlier, public image is everything in politics. You want voters to feel as if they can trust you. Face it, most voters are families struggling with children. There’s a reason a lot of presidents and world leaders tend to be married with at least one child. And right here in Canada, most leaders started out their careers always married. I did a study on this. In Mayberry Hill, you would be the very first candidate in your demographics—late twenties to early thirties—and single.

See, Toni said, arching his brow. I don’t know why you boys have an aversion to marriage. It brings you stability to be with the one you love. You boys look at a wedding band as if it’s a tiny handcuff. It’s not. It’s a joining symbol that frees you to be you, knowing you have love by your side.

Yeah, I see their point, Carl. Voters want to know you’re getting it regularly at home in a monogamous relationship so your attention is not elsewhere trying to sow some wild oats. Not to mention your body will always be charged on endorphins and ready to do your job. Jules grinned, teasing his brother, probably trying to lighten  the mood—as was his thing to do.

Only Carl’s body was pumped with adrenaline right now. He was feeling anything but light or amused.

So you’re trying to say that Leechwood would make a better mayor than me because he has a wife and kids? You’ve seen how many times in the past he’s been in the papers for cheating on his wife. It’s good that she openly forgave him but the guy’s a creep, Carl continued, pacing around the fireplace. His dress suit jacket opened up.

I can’t believe the press isn’t on to that! Carl added, The guy wants to raise property taxes, for Chrissake! He thinks it’s better that hard working people foot the bill for a mismanaged city instead of taking it from the surplus and the reserve we never use. I have it all figured out. I can do this and save the city and taxpayers a crap load of money so that nobody has to go to bed at night wondering how the hell to pay their bills.

Carl, you are so right. I admire your passion, grandson. That’s why I want you to be successful, as much as I don’t like the dirty games of politics. But we sure could use someone like you in office.

"Good. I’m glad you agree! I don’t need to get hitched to