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“So, we’re over before we start?” He doesn’t sound angry, just resigned.
I’m struggling to answer over the lump in my throat, so I nod slowly as the first tears spill. “I don’t want to lose you, any of you. But I can’t hurt any of you either. We’ve all been hurt enough at this point.”
He wipes my tears, his own eyes brimming and bends to plant a gentle but meaningful kiss on my lips. “Don’t make any decisions yet,” he murmurs against me. “Give me time to think about it?”
Hope blooms in my chest. “Really?”
“If my options are sharing you or losing you, sharing seems preferable. I just can’t promise anything right now, okay?”
I smile, trying not to get my hopes up. “Okay. I think we all need time to think about things anyway.” I lean up kissing him deep and long. His hands explore under my shirt again, finding my breast and tweaking my nipple to a hard point. “While we’re deciding, can we still get off?” I moan.
“Yeah, princess,” he smiles against the skin of my neck. “Let me show you.”
40
LANCE
“I’m sorry, Mr Preston. I understand you are ready to sign the papers, but I have another party interested now.” Arash Amiri sounds genuinely apologetic on the phone.
“Listen, I appreciate I have been hot and cold, and I apologise for that. We already have the contracts written up and I have the cash ready to go. I had some personal reservations that are abated now. I can be there in two hours so we will call this deal done.”
“I have already agreed to meet with the other interested party, I won’t go back on my word,” his stubborn tone is a dig at me, but I don’t take the bait.
“Fine. Please just don’t sign anything. Whatever they offer, I am certain I can beat it.”
“I assure you, I will be in touch.”
I hang up and slide my phone in the inside pocket of my suit jacket. “Fuck.”
“What’s happened?” Hayden asks from the back seat of the SUV, he’s tapping away on his phone, running his three restaurants from the comfortable leather seats.
“Someone else is interested in the club,” I grit out through clenched teeth.
“How does anyone know it’s available? It’s not on the market and Amiri swore he wasn’t talking to anyone else?” Brent asks, sat next to me in the driver’s seat.
“I don’t know,” I sigh, scrubbing my hand down my face. “But this is going to be a fucking shit show.”
“Syd is going to lose it,” Brent mutters.
“Thanks for that helpful observation, cous.”
Brent tries to hide his smirk. “What are you going to tell him?”
“I’ll spin the truth.” I puff out a breath and look out the tinted windows. “Where are you on finding the guy who attacked Elle?”
My cousin shuffles on his seat to sit straighter, dark menace burning in his irises as he glares at the road. “It’s been hard going, the trail seemed to die with the stolen car. I have found some CCTV of the car on its way to Elle’s, the angle is good to see the driver, but the footage is of very poor quality. I’ve given it to one of the tech guys to sharpen the image and hopefully I’ll get somewhere.”
I nod slowly. My mind is cloaked in images of Elle laid on our kitchen island, covered in bruises and dried blood, shaking and whimpering. My fists clench at my sides and I try to fight off the red mist descending. “When you find them, you let me know. Don’t do anything without me. We’re in this together.”
Brent’s clenched jaw and narrowed gaze tells me that he is haunted by the same scene, and nods his agreement. His knuckles are white where he grips the wheel and his lips are set in a grim line. I don’t know how I didn’t see his feelings for Elle before. I’m starting to feel that I may have been ignoring the obvious to suit my own selfish agenda and I regret my cousin’s heartache.
“Speaking of being in this together,” Hayden pipes up, leaning between the two front seats. “Want to talk about this morning, big guy?”
“No,” Brent’s answer is immediate, impulsive. His shoulders drop defeatedly, and he sighs. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, let’s start with you telling us what your concerns are.”
Brent moans his displeasure. “I’m not sure how to have this conversation with you. It feels awkward.”
