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One of Lorenzo’s perfectly shaped eyebrows arched high into his forehead. “You’ve grown a spine, little sis.”
She grunted. “Yeah, well, I’ve been through a lot. Helps to be able to stand up for myself. Besides, I’m pretty sure I had a spine when I walked away years ago.”
Lorenzo chuckled as the slimy smile returned. “That wasn’t your spine. It was a tantrum.”
Clenching her fists to keep from smacking him, Kelsie said, “How about we skip the chit-chat, and you just tell me what it is you want.” Her heart beat fast, and sweat trickled down the back of her neck. It could have been the Florida heat or the apprehension of being near Lorenzo. Thank God she hadn’t been out alone.
“Why do you think I want something from you?”
She narrowed her eyes, which had him laughing again.
“I think I like you with a little spice, Kels. You know why I’m here. Time is running out. I figured you might need a little motivation to come on home.”
Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow as disbelief swamped her. “Is Dad delusional? How on earth is he going to run for governor? The man who is on house arrest wearing an ankle monitor for another two years? I’m sure the only reason he isn’t behind bars is because he paid someone off.”
Shrugging as though he couldn’t fathom what she was referring to, Lorenzo removed his hands from his pockets to rub them together. “Don’t be naïve, Kels. When roadblocks are placed in your path, sometimes you have to get a little creative to get where you want to go.”
“And where is it you want to go, Lorenzo?”
“To the top, Kelsie. I’m already there, but I’d like to stay. It’s real nice up here.”
With a huff, she shifted her gaze to her friends, whispering but keeping one eye on her. “I’m sure it is, but I’m not into stepping on anyone below me to get there. I prefer to get there through hard work and honesty.”
“There you go, being naïve again, little sister.”
“I prefer to think of it as saving my soul.”
This time, Lorenzo laughed so loud that they drew the attention of customers strolling through the parking lot. Kelsie shifted with unease. Her brother had a recognizable face. He’d been splashed across headlines for everything from who he slept with or which cologne he wore to their father’s lengthy trial, where he sat in the front row every day.
Kelsie hadn’t shown up once.
“You are aware of what happened to me a few months ago, right?”
He shrugged. “Yes, but I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
“You don’t see how forcing me to marry a man whom multiple women have accused of sexual misconduct and abuse could be triggering? I can’t imagine marrying anyone, but Andrew Tinsley? I’d rather die.”
Ty’s face popped into her mind, but she shoved it aside. In the darkness of the lonely nights, she could fantasize about marrying a man like Ty or Ty himself, but that’s all it’d ever be. In reality, she had a high chance of remaining single forever.
Depressing as the thought was, she’d take it over Andrew Tinsley.
“Look, I’m just going to come straight out and say it. I’m not interested in anything that touches our family. I paid my dues throughout my childhood when I was used as a pawn to lure in unsuspecting investors and clients with our perfect family act. You remember my friend, Lara, from when I was in high school?”
Lorenzo had ten years on her, so by the time she hit high school, he was living on his own in a penthouse paid for by their father, so his confusion wouldn’t have been surprising if it weren’t for the impact this story had on her life. If he gave one single shit about her, he’d remember her best friend. They did everything together. Spent all their free time together. Had sleepovers every weekend. They played the same sports, joined school clubs together, and were as inseparable as two friends could be. Until Lara’s family lost every penny they had thanks to Kelsie’s father and his crooked business dealings.
Lara’s family had been forced to move from their eight thousand-square-foot mansion to a bedroom in a family member's house, selling off nearly everything they owned for cash. Kelsie had been devastated, and this was also when she realized her family wasn’t the good guys.
Stricken with guilt and despair over his devastating investment choices, Lara’s father took his own life six months after they moved.
Kelsie never heard from Lara again.
“Never mind,” she said rather than spill the details that wouldn’t sway his rotten heart. “You need to go, Lorenzo. I’m not coming home, I won’t associate myself with Dad, and I’m not marrying Andrew Tinsley. Ever.”
The only outward sign of annoyance was a slight twitch in his left eye. Otherwise, he didn’t appear surprised or disappointed by her response. He took two steps closer and spoke so only she could hear. “I’ll leave for now, sis, but you might want to reconsider the offer. I’d hate for your new friends to run into trouble running any of their businesses.”
Her blood boiled. “Don’t you dare. The Handlers aren’t easily manipulated like the people you’re used to defrauding. They’ll fight back.”
“Hmm,” he said as though really considering her statement. “You know what is easy, though? Motorcycle accidents.”
