Brant Read online

  “Thank you,” is all I reply. What else is there to say?

  Chapter Ten

  Brant

  After texting Tessa back, I call down to room service for a burger, a slice of cherry pie, and a six-pack. My cell pings with an incoming call, and I know it’s from her. It’s nearly 9 p.m. here, which means it’s midnight in Michigan.

  “Hey, my sweet Cherry. You’re bound to be exhausted, why aren’t you in bed?”

  “Because Rhys is currently driving us to a twenty-four hour diner. Av’s hungry.”

  I hear a huff come from her end, followed shortly by Av’s sweet voice. “She’s a liar—she was hungry first.”

  More muffled sounds greet me, and one can only assume it’s my girl wrestling with a pregnant Tiger Lily to reclaim her phone.

  “Sorry about her. Know how they say pregnant women are savages? It’s true.”

  Some more antics go on between those two; I don’t know how Rhys can drive under such conditions. Figuring it’s worth a shot, I let out a high-pitched piercing whistle.

  “Now, ladies, listen up: no more wrestling in a moving vehicle. Av, you’re carrying another life, stop it. Cherry, I sent you away to be protected, not get injured in a car wreck.”

  I’m met with blissful silence. How had I forgotten about their bickering like teenagers?

  “I’m sorry. You know how it goes—I say something to irk her, she gives it back. Believe it or not, I actually do miss you, Ace.” Hearing her loud exhale, I know she’s feeling as shitty as I am.

  “If it makes you feel any better, I ordered dinner…for one, with a slice of cherry pie.”

  “Can you hear me?” she whispers.

  “Yes.”

  “Good, because I didn’t want the cherry pie comment to slip by. I wanted to say you already had Cherry pie today.”

  “Did I hear cherry pie?” Averill says in the background.

  “What the…does she have supersonic hearing? I swear it was a low whisper on my end, sweetness. Either her hearing has improved, or she can actually zero in on food items in private conversations.”

  “Want to make a bet with me about her due date, Ace? We could guess and whoever is closest wins…something.” Her melodic laughter makes me smile.

  “Sure, I’m in.” Lowering my voice so only she can hear me, I continue, “Your Cherry pie is my favorite pie in the world. I can still taste you on my tongue and smell you on my fingers. My ears can still hear your moans. When you’re about to orgasm, you make this tiny high-pitched sound, like you want to come but your bliss is just out of reach. Mm.”

  Her end is silent. She’s not saying a thing, but I can hear her labored breathing.

  “That sound, Cherry? It’s mine.”

  “It’s yours, Brant.” Her breathy whisper is all I need to affirm we’re exactly where we need to be. I love her, and before long, she’ll love me.

  “They went inside to grab a table. I don’t want to be rude and stay out talking on the phone, so I should go. I’ll see you tomorrow evening, yes?”

  “Count on it. One more thing, Cherry: I love you. Don’t say it back, I’m just putting it out there in the universe, letting it be known that I’m in love with Theresa ‘Tessa’ Annabelle. Sweet dreams, love.”

  “Ace? It’s Theresa May. Don’t let the bedbugs bite, sweetheart.”

  The sound of silence lets me know she’s hung up. Her words shocked me. She’s giving me more personal information; it’s such a great sign. Until this second, I never knew her middle name.

  Theresa May Ashley—I like the sound of that.

  Before my flight, I made a point to go see him this morning. I’m not holding meetings here at the hotel, and the lawyers have all gone home—minus one. I’m positive he’s never returning.

  Today is a day off for me.

  Oddly, I have nothing to do besides check in with Justin before I fly out. Once Tessa is completely safe, I’ll come back to finish what I’ve been working on for over two years.

  Destroying Martinelli.

  Blowing the lid on his organization in its entirety.

  I’ve been dismantling it piece by piece.

  Since Justin joined me here, he’s had me wear a bug each day, a different one for whatever occasion it may be. For today’s meeting, it’s on my sunglasses. How they’ve come this far in technology is beyond me, but I was warned if I broke these, the FBI wouldn’t look on it too kindly.

  I’m sitting in a Starbucks a few blocks away from Martinelli’s house when Mick walks in. I have the shittiest luck. If I keep my head down, reading the magazine in front of me, maybe I’ll be blessed and he’ll grab his order and leave.

  I’m not so lucky.

  “Hey, Brant. Fancy meeting you here. Have a meeting with the boss?” he asks from where he’s standing, right next to my table.

  “Yes, I have a meeting with my father—you know, my dear ol’ dad. He’s your boss, not officially mine.” In the links of the intricate Martinelli chain, I’m actually second in command. “Come to think of it, I’m your boss, too, since I’m the underboss and all. Huh, imagine that.”

  If Cherry were here, this would be the part where she asked us to get out the ruler to see whose dick was biggest. She hates when I push buttons to make someone angry, but push buttons I do. It’s one of my favorite things to do with all of my father’s hired help. All they ever are is a bunch of rent-a-cops hopped up on steroids.

  He grits his teeth and starts twisting his hands around his cup of coffee. He’s exactly where I want him: on edge, pissed but not too much, and ready to burst because I demeaned him. This is the perfect time to fuck with him.

  While kicking out the chair across from me, I say, “Have a seat, if you like. We can talk about your last assignment.” The tone of my voice lets him know I mean now. Instead, he remains standing, and I won’t have it. “I said, sit.”

  He looks around the café (Who is he looking for?) and after deeming it okay, he throws himself down in the chair.

  “Uh, what the hell do you mean you’re my boss?”

  “Since I’m the only living son, if Father ever decides to retire, it’s my business. Look, I know you’re new and all, but this is first day level shit. You should know who the underboss is. You should’ve also checked to make sure you weren’t hiding in plain sight when you were on the job at the zoo, but no, you and—Corbin, is it?” He nods. “You two were jabbering on like two old ladies instead of looking for me to come grab the assignment. Tsk, tsk, not a pleasant day on the job for you, was it?

  “What’d he assign you to now, coffee runs? Did he demean you, demote you, or just plain yell at you until his face turned a lovely shade of reddish-purple, kinda like yours is doing now? You, uh, may wanna get it checked out. I’d be worried, if I were you—rage problems are no joke.”

  Getting up from my seat, I finish by telling him what I’ve wanted to say since he said hello. “Stay the fuck away from Theresa. If I ever catch you in her presence again, I’ll cut off your balls and feed ’em to you for dinner.”

  The ring of the bell on the door marks my exit.

  Walking into Martinelli’s office, I’m instantly met with a new portrait. It’s not the one he had previously, but one including me. What the…? He’s sitting at his desk, watching me, and I make sure my expression doesn’t change. I don’t need him seeing my reaction to the new piece of art. Instead of going directly to the area in front of his desk, I go to the coffee bar and busy myself making a cup.

  “What’s this I hear of you making threats to my employees?” he demands.

  Ah. Mick’s the reason he didn’t greet me when I walked in.

  “Not a threat, a promise. He messes with what’s mine, I’ll show him who the real man is.”

  “Next time, I’d like to hear about this from you first, not a minion calling to complain. He’s not my son, you are.”

  “Fine. Maybe next time I take a shit, I should clear it with you first? Because it literally happened not five
minutes ago. I think my coming here directly afterward was indication enough that I’d be covering it when I arrived.”

  If he wants to follow me, not Tessa—fine.

  If he wants to question my loyalty—great. He should question it.

  If he wants to threaten me with his veiled threats—so be it.

  But do not demand I tell you my every move.

  “You want to know what I do? Follow me—it’s not below you. Don’t follow my friend Tessa, and especially don’t send a baboon like Mick to follow her. Maybe do your research before hiring your minions. He’s a woman beater, a piece of filth not worthy of touching the ground I walk upon. He’s disposable, but I’m not. I’m your son. Next time give me a few minutes to let you know before you start demanding answers. It’s not as if I was keeping the confrontation from you.”

  Holy shit. I’ve never talked to him that way. Him following my Cherry has set me on edge. Instead of yelling back at me or tossing me out of his office, he nods and the argument is over with.

  “I applaud you showing me your balls of steel, son. I’ve been wondering when I’d finally see them. Terrible it’s taken ten years for you to use them.” He motions for me to take a seat, and I do. “Now, what’s the reason for us seeing each other today?”

  “I’m going home for the weekend, I thought you’d like to know. Since I was only supposed to be here for a few days and it’s been extended, I have a few things to attend to back home. I’ll be back late Sunday evening. This meeting was to inform you of my travel plans.”

  Like he doesn’t already know of them. He had Tessa and me followed yesterday, though we lost them with our detour, so she wasn’t followed into the airport.

  “I see. I’d like to talk to you about a few other things anyway, so this meeting will be put to good use.” Pausing, he stands and walks over to the coffee bar. The first time I was ever in this office, I realized where my slight coffee addiction came from. My mom barely touches the liquid heaven, and my dad loves it, but, of course, he’s not actually my dad. My father obviously can’t function without his coffee. “I’d like you to reconsider leaving, son. I fear if I let you go, I’ll lose you completely. You’re my only heir. Your beloved brother Vinny would’ve taken the reins, but alas, he’s no longer with us.”

  “No.” Shaking my head adamantly, I repeat my answer, “No, I won’t stay. It’s final.”

  I’ve told him countless times over the last year that I’m not staying on. If I do, I’ll only go farther down the rabbit hole.

  If I stay, I’ll lose my soul.

  He doesn’t see it the same way, of course. He sees me staying on for life, and maybe someday outliving him and taking over. He’d have taken my words to Mick to heart when I said I was his boss, second in line.

  “And you won’t reconsider?” he asks.

  “No. I’m sorry, but no. I’m ready to live my life for myself. You haven’t given me the chance. You’ve taken over my life since I turned eighteen. You’ve held me under this disgusting contract since the day I left college. I’m not staying. I’ve been involved in the dark dealings of this world for far too long. Knowing but not knowing what was done to Johnson is nightmarish enough. I’m done existing as nothing more than a link in your chain. I’m leaving when my deal is over, and I’m never coming back.”

  “I’ll take you leaving my employment, but I will not take you leaving my life. You’re my son—my son, not his. I’ve held up my end of the bargain, and I won’t tell our secret. It’ll stay between us and the family, and you, son, will remain a part of my damn life. Don’t fight me on this—you won’t win,” he spits out.

  “Do I detect one of your thinly veiled threats? Because you can’t threaten me to stay in your life. That’s not very fatherly of you,” I spit back.

  “Oh, my threat isn’t to you, it’s to those around you, and it’s not veiled at all—I’ll speak the words outright. If you leave my life completely, what’s her name, Cherry? Yeah, Cherry won’t be a part of your future either. I go, she goes. As long as you love her and vow to spend your life with her, I’ll be here, watching, waiting, and ready to pull the trigger to end her if you disappear from my life. Is that clear enough for you now?”

  Motherfucker.

  “Oh, I hear you, I just don’t believe you. I mean, yeah, I know you had Vinny killed, but why hurt me in this way? I’ve done nothing to you. I’ve worked loyally for you for ten fucking years and now I’m this close to happiness, but if I don’t stay in your life, you’ll take my happiness away. How do you sleep at night?”

  “I sleep fine, don’t you worry. I sleep knowing all is great in my world. Everything’s like it should be. I’m richer than God, I’m married to a bombshell, and I have the son I never knew I was missing. If I have to kill a few people to make my life complete, so be it. I’ll do it as long as I need to in order to keep sleeping at night. I dream of a united family—my wife, you, your mother, and this Tessa. As long as you check in with me and spend a few family holidays with me, she’ll be fine. You’ll be fine, your mother will be fine.” He sits like he’s ordered lunch and is waiting for it to arrive. He’s a cold-hearted son of a bitch. “Now, leave. I have another appointment to get to. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  Instead of answering him, I stand and begin to make my way out. Then a thought strikes me: I’m going to leave my sunglasses in here. If they’re found, who cares? It’ll look like a plain pair of sunglasses. Justin’s going to love me.

  Walking back over to the coffee bar, I act like I’m making a cup to take with me and place my glasses on the counter in plain sight.

  The best secrets are always hidden in plain sight.

  I’m on the flight from hell, and I feel like celebrating when the pilot announces we’ll be landing shortly.

  Thank fuck.

  I have an aisle seat; late booking means no window for me. The two passengers next to me are treating the plane like their personal living room. Shoes off, trays down and strewn with empty mini bottles of whiskey, they’re watching a movie, and one has his pants unzipped.

  Although I’ve never been a fan of flying, this has to be the worst flight ever.

  I’m in hell.

  The only thing keeping me from losing my cool is knowing I’ll see Cherry in less than an hour. I don’t care who’s around when I do—I’m greeting her with a hungry kiss. Everyone else can fade away. She’ll be the comfort in my storm.

  “Hey, dude, can I get through? I have to piss,” my unzipped aisle mate asks.

  Not answering him, I get up to let him through and notice two guys a few rows back, dressed all in black. They look vaguely familiar. Are they employees of Martinelli?

  Not wanting to look like I’m checking them out, I open the overhead compartment and pretend to be looking in my bag. I’m not able to tell if they’re his people or not. Shaking it off, I concentrate on the time, staring at the home screen of my phone as the minutes pass. I’ll see Cherry in just a few moments. Each minute drags by slower than the last, until finally, we’re landing. All I can think about is getting to her as fast as possible. Once we’re safe and allowed to disembark, I’m the first off, sprinting through the terminal, passing people left and right as I go, finding the face I’ve been missing.

  Cherry.

  “Hey, Ace,” she greets as I reach for her chin, tilting her head. My lips land on hers and my tongue demands access inside, which she grants me, and I kiss her with all my might. My tongue dueling with hers, threading my fingers through her hair, I pull her in closer, consuming her.

  She places her hands on my chest and…pushes me away?

  “We have company.” She points behind her and I see them: Rhys and Averill.

  Rhys looks pissed, which is to be expected. Averill’s mouth is open in shock. Did Cherry tell them this little tidbit? I know she told them we were spending time together, but maybe she didn’t tell them we’re intimate?

  “I missed you and was just showing you how much. They’ll get ov
er it.” Releasing her, I reach down for her hand and walk over to the man I used to call my brother. Now I don’t have the privilege. “Rhys, T-Lil, you two don’t know how wonderful it is to see you both. You don’t know how much I’ve missed you.” Averill jumps up and wraps her arms around me, causing me to let go of Cherry’s hand.

  “I’m still pissed off at you, but I couldn’t not hug you.”

  “I’m pissed at me, too,” I whisper as I let her go.

  “Rhys, uh, I’d love it if you’d grant me some alone time with you tomorrow to set the record straight. Do you have some time to spare?”

  “Yeah, I can move a few things around,” he snaps out.

  It’s strange acting this…proper with him. We’re used to slinging out barbs instead of using each other’s names. It’s all my fault, but hopefully he’ll understand once he knows the whole story.

  “You’re welcome to stay with us. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you’ll be staying in Tessa’s room?” Averill asks.

  “She didn’t tell you? I’m crazy in love with her,” I state.

  “I knew it!” Av exclaims. “I knew you two were meant to be together. I mean, she told me a few things last night, but she didn’t tell me this. Holy shitballs, is there going to be another wedding in the works?”

  “Hold your horses, T-Lil, I’m still trying to win her love, not to mention the fact that there’s danger lurking in the shadows. We’ll get there someday. She’s it for me, and she knows that. Now she has to deal with it.”

  “Um, surprise?” Cherry pipes up from where she’s standing next to me, her fingers again threaded with mine.

  Her comment causes everyone to laugh and lifts the mood between Rhys and myself, at least for the moment.

  “Brant?” Rhys asks.

  “Yeah, man?”

  “We can talk tonight, if you want.”

  After a tense dinner, Rhys and I are alone in the living room. The ladies went to Averill’s room to have some ‘girl talk’, which we all know is code for ‘tell me everything’.