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I bite back a curse. “You’ve been with me less than a week. You did realize convincing someone as stubborn as Parker would take a while, right?”
“In theory, yes. But I hoped…” She gives me a self-deprecating shrug. “I should have banked on him not making this easy. I’m not sure what it says about my brother and me that I have to go to these lengths to wrest independence from him. Does that make him a tyrant or me a weakling?”
“In my book, the former. You tried not to go to war with him, and he stomped all over your consideration.”
“But don’t I bear some responsibility? I must have contributed to this mess somehow…”
It’s so like her to shoulder blame. It’s a quality that makes me like her even more as a human being, probably because it’s one I don’t possess. “Should you have pushed back sooner? Probably. But did he truly give you a reason until he withheld your inheritance?”
“Not really, so his refusal shocked me. Until then, I always thought we were fairly close. He wasn’t my father, obviously, but the most paternal figure in my life since my grandfather was distant. As an adult, I get that the man probably didn’t know what to do with an eight-year-old who constantly cried for her parents. But as a child, his indifference hurt, so I leaned on my brother. Now…he won’t let me stand on my own.”
There’s that small voice again, the one that says she’s been shuffled to the side and marginalized by people whose role was to love her.
I reach across the car and squeeze her hand. “I’m sorry.”
She squeezes back. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I know you got a juicy morsel of revenge tonight, but you helped my cause so much. You don’t need my boo-hoo problems. Your childhood wasn’t a picnic, either.”
Compared to hers? “It wasn’t all bad. Mom and I were tight, and at least she lived long enough to see me become an adult. My biological father? No loss there.”
“Even though you never met Barclay Reed, he must be a huge shadow in your life.”
Sometimes, Corinne’s understanding amazes me. “Yeah. Apparently, I’m a lot like him. Ruthless, cutthroat, and fixated on making money. I even have his eyes.”
“Most of your siblings do, but you’re nothing like that man. You’re not malicious. You don’t swindle people. And you’re fiercely loyal to those you love.”
The way she defends me nearly chokes me up. “Be careful or I’ll accuse you of actually liking me.”
“Maybe a little. But don’t let it go to your head. You’ll do something to change my mind soon, anyway,” she teases, as if she needs to lighten the mood.
I scowl because she’s right. “Probably.”
“So what happens next? Parker won’t take this lying down.”
He won’t. “Your brother will come after me.”
So will Riley. Her ex will do his damnedest to pursue Corinne out from under me, and since she’s not disinterested… I don’t know what tactic to take. Everything feels fucked-up. I need to convince her Riley isn’t in her best interest.
She rears back. “Why? I’m the one who had an orgasm in the club.”
“All by yourself? No, I gave you that orgasm. He’ll hold me accountable.”
The way she bites her lip tells me she didn’t consider that. “What else can he do to you?”
“He has options, some I probably haven’t even considered.” I need to focus on something besides Corinne and figure out what those might be. “The things he can impact most—and where my money is tied up—are the ventures I’m entering into with my family. That’s the reason I don’t have the cash to lend your business. Bethany and Clint are letting me buy in as a full partner in our financial services enterprise. Maxon, Griff, and I are also starting a new company to combine market investors with tangible wealth. That’s requiring all my liquid capital.”
“That’s fabulous!” Her eyes light up. “I know you’ll make a killing with both.”
“Going into business with them is something I’ve wanted for years.” I hesitate. Corinne might not care, but I want her to understand. “When I lost Mom, I was barely nineteen. Not long after she passed, I thought about ending it all.”
She looks horrified as she takes my hand. “Xavian, no. There’s too much life in you. You’re so—”
I hold up a hand to stop her. I can’t hear her compliments, even if they’re platitudes. I don’t deserve them. After all, I’m selfishly choosing my business over hers. “Obviously I didn’t do it. You know what stopped me? Knowing she’d be pissed off. Friends like Hayes and Echo helped get me through. Even your brother. He probably saved my life that first Christmas without her by inviting me to your place. No matter what he does today, I’ll be forever grateful for that.” I sigh, hearing my loss and regret in that sound. “But I spent years feeling like an orphan, adrift. Then came the Reeds. I never expected to have family, much less a big, loud, loving one who embraced me so totally. We’ve all come from different places with different baggage yet melded into something really close and almost functional.”
