AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t have time to treat you like a corporate whore right now, Bristol.”
I raise my eyebrows at him, and he scowls. I did it to tease him, not to actually get him to drop everything and have sex with me. Though I wouldn’t hate it if he did.
Anyway.
“What’s wrong?”
That expression crosses his face, and I realize what it is. It’s vulnerability. Whatever’s happening, Will thinks it’s a weak spot. And hehatesweak spots. He’d rather not have any at all. He grits his teeth, and I canseehim fighting the urge to storm out and slam the door behind him. I think, if he wasn’t banned from that warehouse, he’d be headed there now.
“My—” His eyes go to the ceiling, calculating. “My sister-in-law is in labor. Apparently it’s early.”
“Your sister-in-law?”
“I think that’s what she is. I don’t know. Emerson’s wife is a Morelli.”
That name came up at the dinner with Mitchell and Greg. “Finn Hughes is with one of the Morellis, right? Are they rich like the Hugheses?”
“Nobody is rich like the Hugheses, but the Morellis are…very wealthy. And powerful. Their family home is out in Bishop’s Landing. I think they own about half that place.” The way he talks about them is slightly guarded, like he’s protecting them.
“Are they richer than you?”
He snorts, humorless, and raises a hand in the air. “The Hugheses are up here.” He lowers it about six inches. “The Morellis. Their enemies, the Constantines.” He puts a hand down by his hip. “Me.”
“You havetonsof money.”
“Yeah.”
Okay. Thescaleof all this money makes me slightly dizzy. Hughes Financial Services is part of Hughes Industries, which is…massive. If Will counts the Morellis as anywhere close, that’s…
That’s a lot of power.
“Finn is engaged to Eva Morelli. There are eight Morelli children, all adults. Emerson’s wife is Daphne.”
“And…which one is in labor?”
“Daphne is especially close with her older brother, Leo. His wife, Haley, is in labor.”
I shake my head. Why is Will so worried about this? It’s family, in a way, but he’s never talked this much about them, either. “You’re worried for her?”
He hesitates, that defensive scowl returning. “I’m worried about Emerson.”
His middle brother.Not much about Emerson is casual. A fairly famous art collector.“How come?”
Will looks away. “None of your business.”
I put a hand on his arm, and he tenses at the gentle touch. “Come on. I’mlivingwith you. You know Mia and Ben. Why are you worried about Emerson when Daphne’s brother’s wife is in labor?” He doesn’t say anything. “You went to his house when I was here before. It was late at night. Does it have something to do with that?”
“In a way.”
I wait.
Nothing.
“In what way?”
Will turns to look at me, eyes narrowed. The vulnerability hasn’t disappeared. It’s stronger now, if anything, along with a shield I recognize. He’s angry.I’m a monster.“Again, Bristol, it’s none of your business.”
“Are you ashamed to talk about him?”
