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A cold sweat emerges on my brow as panic wells in the pit of my stomach. I glance sideways at Gray, finding his eyes bulging from his head with a matching perspiration-soaked forehead of his own.
“I really don’t think choosing an actress as a fake girlfriend is the answer to—”
Henry rises to his feet in one fluid movement, his eyes spitting angry green flames that see both Grayson and I openly flinch.
“I’ve been able to make this unholy mess of yours go away, Alex. Through great personal sacrifice—not to mention a pretty penny and favors I’ll be paying back on my death bed—I’ve done my best by you.” He carefully places his clenched fists on the table between us, leaning closer to growl dangerously, “Nowit’s your turn. You play your part—and you play it damn-fucking-well—or you’reoutof the company. Permanently.”
I hold his gaze as rage bubbles up in the pits of my churning stomach. “It wasonemistake, Ri. One—”
“Of many, little brother.”
I try again. “Come on. Youcan’tbe serious—”
My brother’s fist comes down on the desk, halting my plea. His eyes pin me in place as he enunciates each word. “Don’t. Test. Me.”
We stare one another down for a long beat, even as Gray begins to fidget beside me.
Henry gestures at the piles of folders strewn across the boardroom table. “Pick one you won’t fuck. That way, you can keep it purely business.”
“I am focused onthisbusiness, not the business of maintaining a sham relationship to placate you and the board. The company is where I’m best—”
My brother cuts me off as though I haven’t even spoken. “As of today, you’re on extended leave, little brother. Liv is bringing the kids, and we’ll be Stateside for the foreseeable.”
Guilt gnaws at my insides at that. At the stress being put on the people I care for the most.
“Pick one of these girls and come back to me when you’re ready to organize the contracts. It will involve a lot of public appearances to sell this charade, so pick one that has semi-decent conversational skills for your own sake.”
My brain whirrs to keep up with just how fast everything has turned to shit, and before my brain catches up, my mouth blurts out words I can’t take back.
“I alreadyhavea girlfriend.”
Shit! Did I just say that?
“What the actual hell?”
Gray rounds on me with eyes that threaten to fall clean out of their sockets while Henry just tilts his head to one side in complete skepticism, but instead of crumbling under their joint looks of disbelief, I double down.
I feel myself standing taller as I clear my throat, and my brain finally catches up with my mouth. “It’s been ongoing for…” I trail off as the lie sticks in my throat, but I grit my jaw and force out the words. “For six months now. And it’s…serious.Veryserious.”
My earnest eyes hold Henry’s, fully invested in my lie now. I’m not about to let my own brother force me from my birthright. Damn him.
“It’s the reason I wanted to quash the sex tape, Ri. I—I don’t want her to find out about past indiscretions.”
My brother’s face is impenetrable as he assesses me, and while he picks apart my words, I wait with bated breath for his ruling.
“Do I know her?”
I shake my head, praying he won’t ask me anything further, but my prayers land on deaf ears.
His face looks skeptical as he stares me down. “Who is she?”
Shit!
I force my face to remain impassive as my mind races, searching for an answer I don’t fucking have until my cell chimes in my pocket. I slide it out to check the sender.
UNKNOWN
I’m back from Staten, Pretty Boy.
