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In a move that put shocked looks on all our faces, Richard jumped from his seat and bitch slapped Sebastien so hard, his six-foot-four legs gave out on him. “The FBI?” Richard strained through clenched teeth. “And you didn’t tell me sooner?”
Sebastien pushed to stand, a trickle of blood on his upper lip smeared when he rubbed it. “You didn’t tell me about Sunrise or warn me.” He fought back, his voice hoarse and veins in his neck bulging. “I’m your goddamn general counsel.”
Patrick snickered, and I wanted to fucking stab both him and Dick Daria. Goddamn, I loved Sebastien, didn’t I? And the visceral urge to protect him walloped me.
“It doesn’t matter when we found out. We want out of the deal,” I said, getting my head back in this game or someone was going to die. Starting with my Rebecca. She really was mine. Even if she also belonged to two other men.
“You all thought you could discredit her,” Patrick said, leaning back. “I admit, I like the plan.”
“Your son came up with it,” I said, looking him in the eye. “Because that’s your way, Byrne. Tactical. Strategic. We go for more...physical persuasion.”
“And a sorry attempt you boys made of that.” Patrick snickered again. “She played all three of you. Smart girl. Someone I want on my side. If I have to shit-can that project so we can take Rebecca, where do I sign? I think that makes losing our investment even.”
“Even?” my father shrieked.
“Do you hear yourselves? She’s not an object. No one’s taking her.” A look passed between Bastien, Gian, and me, knowing we already had her. She’d committed to us. And we committed to her right back.
“Where’s the evidence?” Daria said and glared at my father. “Those presentations we trusted Giovanni to destroy.”
“Becca has the only surviving copy,” I said. “So long as we agree to terminate the contract, she won’t hand it over.”
“Do you have any idea how much money we’ll lose?” Papa crowed.
I stood. “You’re not seeing the full picture here. You played this game for years, decades, thinking you’re untouchable. This island of Manhattan can feel like we’re the whole world. Now the FBI is involved. I have the NYPD commissioner on speed dial to fix a problem. But does anyone know the FBI director? If it’s prison or bankruptcy, I’ll take being broke. We can work our way back.”
“I want that evidence,” Papa said.
“I second that,” Daria said. “We’ll bury the ownership. No one will know it’s us.”
“We’ll know,” Giancarlo spoke up. “Sorry. I don’t want my family name associated with a date rape drug.”
“Leave us,” Daria said, standing.
“This is my office, Richard.” I stared him down.
“No. It’s mine,” Papa said. “Get out. The three of you.”
Biting the inside of my mouth, I nodded to Bastien and Gian, then walked to the door that joined my office to Papa’s.
Closing the door, I brought my hand to Bastien, who belted me away. “Relax,” I said. “I want to make sure you’re okay.”
The guy was literally seething. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.” I took his face in my hands and I kissed him.
The coarseness of his cheek with weekend stubble because none of us had time to shave this morning, stirred my engines. This was our life now. We could be open about how we felt about each other instead of making it a game. After a moment of resistance, he kissed me back. I remembered the first time we fucked. We were drunk, and he missed Rebecca. His body missed her. He was being an asshole, so I got on my knees and sucked his dick. Surprised at how easily he let me. And how fast he came down my throat.
What surprised me even more was that instead of him returning the favor, he went and got some baby oil and next, I was fucking his ass. Jesus, nothing had ever felt so hot. Up until then. The forbidden nature of it. As good as it made me feel, made us feel, it felt empty without Rebecca. We were just two guys who could stomach fucking each other to get off.
Whenever I would fuck him in front of someone giving us shit, I silently wished Rebecca was there. It stayed just raw sex to get off, but now she glued us together, allowing me to feel what I felt for him.
“I’ll be over there,” Gian said, walking to my sofa.
“I’m fine, really,” Bastien said low and gravelly. “I wish I could say that’s the first time he’s done that.”
“What?” I asked.
“He’s not right in the head. Hasn’t been since my mother died.”
For years, I was jealous of how close Bastien and his father were. Now, I realized it was an illusion.
“I’m sorry, Bastien,” Gian said, and I had to keep remembering his brother was probably dead.
Like Lia.
Like Bastien’s mother.
We all knew loss. That was life. We had to be strong.
“You realize if they don’t agree to get out of the deal, Rebecca will hand over that evidence to the FBI,” I said. “She’ll need our protection. We’ll have to walk away from our fathers. On the surface, we’re four separate companies, but underneath we’re all entwined. We know the players on the street. Our fathers have been in these ivory towers too long.” I waved my hand. “We have to get to them before our fathers do. Make them join us. To fight for Domenico.”
Gian nodded.
After a moment, so did Bastien.
The joining door slammed opened and Richard stood there, a vein in his neck still throbbing. “Since we have no choice, we’re terminating the deal. Sebastien, we need you to draft the letter. We want our money back. As much of it as we can.”
I glanced at Sebastien, whose tipped-open jaw mirrored how I felt.
That was too easy.
“Send me the termination letter to sign.” Patrick strutted inside, looking around. “I got enough to deal with. Gian, let’s go.” He needed to find his son, Salvatore.
Giancarlo stood and straightened his jacket. With just a nod, he followed his father.
Richard left as well and Sebastien followed him not looking at me.
We’d have to keep so many secrets to survive. It would make us all look weak.
Facing an empty office, I went back into Papa’s suite, surprised to see Vito hovering over my father, whispering back and forth.
“I’ll get us back on our feet, Papa,” I said to him. “I’ll renegotiate with Rebecca, keep more of our profits.”
“You failed me, Anthony,” he said, low and hurt.
Failed him because I didn’t want a date rape drug on the street. Failed him because I wouldn’t force a woman who didn’t love me to marry me. Oh, sweet irony. She loved me now. And I loved her back. Bastien too.
And now that drug won’t see the shores of Manhattan.
Plus,we had the world’s greatest hacker on our side.
We won!
On the surface.
I didn’t trust those three bastards, especially my father. I’d have to watch him, all of them. Loyalties and lines had shifted. I couldn’t afford to be blind to what any of these pricks could do, especially if they green-lighted a date rape drug.
It didn’t matter that we were their sons. We were just tools to them, and we’d turned on them. I suspected that soon, very soon, we’d pay for what we’d done here if we weren’t careful...
