Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
He lets out a strangled sound and storms into the nearest conference room, putting distance between us.
We trail after him. He stalks to the window, raking his hands through his hair while I scramble for a way forward. It’s not just our friendship on the line—it’s everything we’ve built.
“We have feelings for Makayla,” I add.
“For fuck’s sake, I put her in your suite because I thought she’d be safe!” he shouts. “You’ve known her since she was yay high and fresh out of braces, Alex. How could you?”
I look at Oscar for some help. He shakes his head slowly. I glance over at Kellan, but he is just as quiet. Truth be told, I can’t excuse what we did. Not if we’re to follow Bryan’s reasoning, anyway.
“I agree, it looks bad,” I say. “But we’re in love with her. It wasn’t a one night stand, or even a casual relationship. We were really considering settling down.”
“Unbelievable,” Bryan says, staring me down. “After everything with Melanie, you bring this trouble into what’s left of my family, too?”
The words get stuck in my throat.
Oscar spreads his hands. “What happened with Melanie was purely physical—and, for the last time, consensual.” He meets Callie’s gaze. “You know your sister better than we do. Don’t tell me this is the first time she’s pulled something like this.” He turns to Bryan. “When we saw Makayla again, everything felt different. None of us expected it to grow into something this big, but it did. I’m not apologizing for falling in love with your sister, and neither will my brothers.”
“Okay,” Bryan takes a step back, somewhat mollified. “Let’s say I’m buying this. Your honorable intentions and all that bullshit. Where is Kay, then? Why did she leave like that?”
“Melanie,” Kellan replies, crossing his arms. “She’s been scheming against us from the moment she landed in Stockholm. She wanted more money. She’s been threatening to tell you—to tell Kay—about what happened, but my brothers and I know she would never tell the truth. She’s never told the fucking truth!”
“Right,” Oscar says, backing Kellan’s passion with cold logic. “You know us, man; you’ve known us for a long time. Yes, we like to share women, but we would never hurt anyone, least of all your little sister. You were right to put her in our suite because we would never do anything to hurt her.”
“Yet she’s gone,” Bryan says with a sigh.
I draw a deep breath and try a different angle. Turning to Callie, I ask the question that matters.
“Callie, what did Melanie tell you about her and us?”
“She told me enough,” Callie informs us, crossing her arms over her chest. “She told me that you forced her into a foursome and then paid her to stay quiet about it.”
I close my eyes. This is going to be so delicate. I can’t insult Melanie because I’m talking to her sister, but I can’t let those accusations go unanswered.
“We didn’t force your sister to do anything,” I say calmly. “We enjoyed a night together and then she started blackmailing us, claiming that she was going to tell people just what she told you. We refused, and she went to the cops and filed a complaint against us. We got in trouble with the law for a short while, but our lawyers managed to sort this out. It ended before it reached the court. With a settlement.”
“Oh, a settlement,” Callie scoffs.
Bryan glances at her. “That doesn’t mean they were guilty…”
“Because our preferences are a little bit outside the ordinary, we were afraid that people wouldn’t understand. We were worried about our future, our company, and our friends, so yes, we paid her off. But we didn’t hurt her,” I add. At least Bryan isn’t turning against us at this point. I am relieved to see him using his reason despite the circumstances.
“You want me to believe you over my own sister?” Callie replies.
“Of course not,” Oscar says, giving me that same defeatist vibe. He’s ready to book a flight home, I can see it in his eyes. “We can’t argue with your sister or tell you what to believe. But the truth is, that no matter what happens, none of us are going to hurt anyone.”
“More than we already have,” Kellan interjects with a heavy sigh. “We could’ve handled this better.”
“You’re damn right,” Bryan mutters, but there’s a softness in that grumble.
He’s still angry, but he’s no longer spoiling for a fight. I’ll take the small mercy.
It’s true we’ve hurt Makayla, Bryan, and Callie—though not intentionally—but that’s not what Oscar meant. We’ve never laid hands on anyone in anger, and this mess with Melanie isn’t our doing, even if the optics are rotten.
“I’ll tell you something about your sister,” I say to Callie. Oscar gives me a warning look, and Kellan just seems curious. I forge ahead, letting the words flow from the heart without examining them. “She’s beautiful, but I think she enjoys ruining other peoples’ lives. If you think back, I’m sure you’ll realize that she did something or said something to you at some point in your life that made you wonder if she was causing drama on purpose. There has to be something. This character of hers didn’t happen overnight. She took time to evolve...”