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I open my mouth, but then snap it shut in a stunned daze. How am I supposed to tell him all this? If I don’t do what Matt says, my family will be hurt. Despite how they’ve been using me as collateral, they’re still my family. My blood is filled with memories of us when we were younger, more innocent, the love we had shared, the affection.
Lucas steps forward, looking concerned. “Lana, what happened?”
I meet his gaze, another part of my past, my childhood. This time, I find the courage to speak. “Matt was here.”
Caleb’s expression doesn’t change, but Lucas’s eyes darken and Oliver’s hold on me tightens as he pulls me into him until my back is pressed against his chest.
“What?” His angry demand rumbles into my back. For some reason, I feel comforted by it. I look at Caleb, then rip apart my plans for the future I’d been so ignorantly working on. “I take back my resignation.”
“You resigned?” Oliver sounds stunned, and I sigh when Caleb just nods.
“L-let’s talk about this upstairs.”
Oliver guides me, and I suddenly feel unbearably fragile, my entire world crumbling. Once inside, he sits me down beside Lucas, then gets up to make me some tea. I keep glancing in his direction, not wanting him out of my sight for some reason. I’m not possessive, but, in this moment, I want to be able to see him. Because now I won’t be able to follow him when he leaves.
I never thought I would be able to fall in love or find a man who respects me, thrives in the success of my career, and makes me feel so special. And yet, this one just walked right into my life. And now when the time comes, I’ll have to let go of him
A hot cup of tea is forced into my hands. It’s Caleb who speaks now that I’m tucked against Oliver.
“Did he do something to you?”
I shake my head. The story rushes out of me, piece by piece. Lucas hadn’t been aware of how terrible things were at home for me so the shock on his face isn’t exactly a surprise. Caleb, however, had begun to have an inkling, but his face doesn’t give away his emotions. It’s only the way his jaw tightens that I can tell he’s angry.
“I don’t see why you have to get involved at all,” Caleb says finally. “Your family clearly doesn’t hold you in any regard. Why help them?”
I know he’s right. Logically thinking, I can follow his reasoning, but my heart fights against it, reminding me of the time when Fred would carry me on his back home after school because I would be too tired or the way he got into a fight with the school bully who kept picking on me and got beat up.
My heart aches as it tries to understand how things escalated from there to here, but the love inside my heart for them is stronger than the pain and the anger, so I just put down the tea and rub my hands over my face, feeling so tired. “I can’t abandon them, but I’m not putting myself in that asshole’s hands.”
Oliver picks up the tea and forces it into my hands, saying darkly, “I’d like to see you try.”
The blatant possessiveness in his tone shouldn’t make me feel better, but it does. I lean against him, feeling his hands tugging at my hair gently. “I’m not, but I’m going to have to take out a few loans from the bank. I’ll also have to borrow some money from you, Caleb.”
Caleb and I have been through a lot together. We took the same night classes, and I used to help him. I assisted him in his classes, his studies. I’ve seen him struggle, and I have stood by him as he became the tycoon he is today. Lucas and I had pulled every string we had to make him reach success. So, I know he won’t turn me down, and I don’t feel ashamed to borrow from him. However, Oliver stiffens at that, his voice sounding annoyed. “Why do you have to borrow from him? Take it from me.”
Caleb smirks, not letting me answer. “It must burn you to know she asked me.”
Oliver growls, and I can see Caleb is enjoying this a little too much. I try to pacify my clearly upset lover. “It wouldn’t be right for me to take money from you. Besides, Caleb doesn’t mind, do you?”
I narrow my eyes at my friend, who just raises his brow, amused. “Of course not.”
My shoulders droop, feeling like a burden has been taken off my shoulders. “See?”
Oliver doesn’t see, but he doesn’t say anything, either. Instead, he glances at me. “How are you going to go about this?”
I clasp my hands around the cup in my hands. “I’ll have to talk to my family first. I’ll tell them I’ll pay off their debts, find out why they’ve been taking so much in the first place, then get the exact amount from them. I’ll go tomorrow to sort things out with my bank.” I gesture at Caleb. “Can you look into this person? I know Lucas did some brief digging into him, but I don’t think my family will tell me too much. I want to know everything about him—his businesses, his strengths and weaknesses, his family situation.” Anger enters my tone. “I want to crush him.”
It sounds harsh, but there is this festering fury inside me that demands blood. I haven’t crawled my way up to the top by being a passive person. I’ve fought against all odds, stuck by my principles, and received the acknowledgement of people in higher-up positions. I’ve become somebody. I’m one of the most sought-after HR reps in the business, and it is after years I can finally say it with pride.
I’m not going to let some rich daddy’s boy drag me down and attempt to reduce me to my gender alone. The very fact he tried to is enough to let my petty side show through. After all, there’s a reason why Caleb and I are still friends.
* * *
Seeing Fred’s banged-up face through the viewing mirror, I have to purse my lips as a wave of fury moves through me.
Matt had lied.
This is way beyond breaking his arm.
