Lover boy?What the fuck?
I glance at Cal, who is leaning comfortably, enjoying himself as if this were some sort of show.
Corm returns with three glasses of whiskey. He actually pours me one for the first time since we met.
I flex my fingers. Again, what the fuck?
“The problem is she quit. She walked out.” Corm swirls the liquid in his glass.
I put down mine without tasting it. “The problem is you let her leave.”
“Okay, let’s figure out how to bring her back,” Calinterjects.
Corm raises his hand to stop him. “Liam is right. We didn’t do enough to make her feel appreciated. To make her believe she’s irreplaceable.”
“That we can agree on,” I say, impressed by his candor.
“Okay, let’s make her a partner then,” Corm says.
I let out a breath. The solution sounds straightforward.
It won’t be. Not with Thunder involved.
“As much as all three of us want her at the table…” Cal leans forward, resting his elbows on his legs. “She’s not at the table, and even if she comes back, I hate to be practical here, but I don’t think she has the capital to buy in. I doubt her father would agree to sponsor this.”
I snap my head to him. “You know who her father is?”
He looks at me, deadpan. Of course they know who she is. She’s in their trusted circle.
“I’ll pay for her.” Finally, a good use of my trust fund. Corm raises his eyebrow, and my enthusiasm dies immediately. “Right. She would never accept that.”
He nods. “More importantly, since you’re a lovesick puppy, she would never forgive you.”
I ignore his comment. “What now?”
“Now, you did the right thing. Cal and I will meetwith her. She wanted this, so I’m sure she anticipated the cost.”
I polish the valve cover with unnecessary force, the word “love” contaminating the calm, methodical rhythm that usually keeps everything in line.
Lovesick puppy?
I thought you two were just fucking, lover boy.
Fucker.
And yet. I couldn’t return to Roxy after my meeting. After Corm’s knowing smirk.
Ever since I appeared at Merged, Cormac Quinn has been trying to shake me off balance. He’s been watching my every move, trying to find proof I don’t belong there.
I stayed focused. He never had a chance… until now. Now the fucker’s unsettled me.
Am I in love with Roxy?
The Bentley is almost ready to be sold. Usually, I restore and then sell. It’s strange to think about this beauty being gone.
This particular restoration carries memories that are sneaking up on me with a significance I didn’t consciously award them. Memories thatinvolve her.
The mother of my child.
