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“I know. But she’s also wealthy, and about to become a lot richer.”
“So? You’re rich, too,” Luc shrugs.
Damien looks at me, and I swear I can see the pieces clicking together in his mind. “Finn. Tell me you didn’t.”
“Didn’t what?” Luc asks, looking back and forth between us. Then he gets it, too. “Oh, shit. You’re doing it? But we told you not to!”
“It’s not just about the money,” I tell them. “Raven was driving away our clients, guys. The only way I could get her to stop was to agree to get back together with her.”
“No offense, man, but I refuse to believe that you’re that good in bed,” Luc says.
I remember what Emma said about sentences that start with “no offense,” and almost smile. “Offense taken. But that’s not what this is about. Raven hates being rejected. Her ego can’t take it. Getting me back is all about control and ego gratification for her. Not love or sex.”
“So you need to get rid of Raven – again,” Damien says pointedly, and I wince – “but do it in a way that won’t threaten the firm.”
“Basically, yeah.”
Damien shakes his head. “Finn, you really fucked up. Wait, where does Emma fit into this?”
“We had a – I mean, we were starting to – ” I fumble. “I think I might be in love with her,” I finally say.
Luc raises his eyebrows so quickly I’m surprised they don’t shoot off of his face. “Whoa. When did this happen?”
I shrug. “I don’t really know. But we’ve been getting to know each other and then we had this one incredible night together and, after that, I realized I was falling for her,” I mumble. I’m not used to talking about my feelings with anyone, especially Luc and Damien.
But Damien grins. “Good for you, Finn. Emma’s great.”
“No woman is so great that she’ll understand being thrown over for someone else,” Luc says bluntly. “Even if your intentions were noble, your actions really suck.”
“So help me figure out how to get out of this!” I plead.
Both of my brothers are silent for so long that we all finish our drinks and Luc pours another round. Then he looks at me with a grin. “You could fake your own death.”
“How would that even work?” I ask.
“I know a guy,” Luc says, a little too casually for my tastes. “He can get you new ID, set you up on an island in the Maldives or somewhere like that. You lie low for a few years, then we’ll approach Emma on your behalf, and if she’s into the idea, we fake her death, too, and then you guys can be together.”
“Pass,” I say, shaking my head. “That’s too much fake death to deal with. Plus I don’t want to have to wait a few years to be with Emma.”
“We could pay Raven off,” Damien says.
“She’s richer than we are,” I point out. “Plus, there’s no guarantee that a one-time payoff would be enough.”
“And it’s not money she wants,” Luc says. “Ego, remember?”
“Right,” Damien nods. “We bring her into the firm in some capacity?”
“As what a mascot?” Luc snorts. “She has no qualifications for any job we would actually need someone to do.”
“Plus, do we really want her in the office full-time?” I ask. “Think of all the chaos she could cause.”
“Fair enough,” Damien says.
“If it’s an ego rub she needs, I’d be willing to go a few rounds in the sack with her,” Luc says. “I’m good at rubbing egos, and anything else that women need.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s an even worse idea than faking my death.”
“Hey, it might work!” Luc says, insulted. “Hundreds of very satisfied females of all persuasions can vouch for my skills.”
