Jericho

My damn mind is a million lightyears away. I’m lost in deep thought as I try to figure out what could have happened to River to send her into the arms of a strip club.

This is the wrong time to lose my focus because I’m at Graysons Inc., making my way to the senior management meeting for today’s battle amongst the Grayson men.

How ironic that I’d gone to Club Edge to discuss plans to find a fake wife, only to run into my ex.

My ex, who now looks like a fucking goddess with her vibrant red hair and a body that could bring a man to his knees.

Dressed in that seductress’ leotard, River St. James was the perfect illustration of temptation.

Not even I with the strict control I usually have over my dick had a chance of resisting the lust that riddled my mind.

I had a hard time speaking to her while I tried to push away memories of the last time I saw her naked body. She’s filled out a lot more since with curves in all the right places and a don’t-mess-with-me attitude she wore as well as that leotard.

River looked like she was ready to hand me my ass. It pissed me off that the only answer I got out of her was to leave her alone and that her business wasn’t mine.

She was right, but that didn’t make me feel any better or cleanse her from my mind.

Unknown to her, the last time I actually checked in on her was three years ago. She was living in Russia at the height of her career.

And she was engaged.

Clearly, none of that could have worked out. Unless her husband has a twisted mind and thinks it’s okay for his wife to work in a strip club. I didn’t see a ring on her finger, but that doesn’t mean a thing. Many don’t wear such things in places like Club Edge.

After I left the club, I spent the night checking out River’s records.

My skills and expertise extend to dig up information on people and businesses you normally can’t find.

What I found on River left me more unsettled than I already was because I didn’t find much, but from the intel I gathered, the only sensible conclusion I could come to is that she needs money for something.

A lot of money.

River works at the Kelly’s Café on Crosby Street from six a.m. to eleven a.m. six days a week. On the weekdays when she’s finished there, she works at the Riverside Academy as a dance teacher. After that, she heads to Club Edge, where she works until one in the morning. On weekends, she works at Emersons Dance Company, but that seems like it’s for a production in the making.

In any event, it’s all too much. She’s working right around the clock with barely any time off to even sleep.

She’s been working at the club for the last month and at the café for the last three months. The job at the school seems to be her main one because she’s been there for seven months.

It seems that something must have happened to her recently and makes me wonder how long she’s been back in New York.

The type of schedule she has matches the behavior of a person who’s desperate, or in trouble.

I shouldn’t be thinking about her, but I can’t help it. She’s the only person I’ve wronged in my life that I’ve regretted. At the same time, everything I did—including breaking up with her—was for the best.

Not just because her father hated me because I was a Grayson. That was the least, and the thing I would have continued to fight.

Our end was down to other important factors I never discussed with her, and couldn’t. Now she’s here in New York, making me crazy again.

I’d hate to think that she was for stripping for money.

The idea bothered me so much that I spoke to her manager after I saw her and got a full listing of her job specs.

I got the confirmation that River isn’t a stripper, but it didn’t give me any reassurance to hear that she could be persuaded for the right price. I was more infuriated to be informed that she’d become a hit amongst the regulars who were booking her for their private parties.

Anything can happen at those parties. The men who book them pay for lap dances and attention from the most popular girls at the club. For the right price, they allow to book girls for sex, too.

Girls who are desperate enough take the money. Especially if they’re being offered crazy money that might mean you can quit your job at Club Edge after one night’s work.

I don’t want that to happen to River, but what am I supposed to do?

Surely, her family can’t be okay with what she’s doing, but maybe they don’t know.

I did a basic check on them, too–as in her father and Gina, the only relative she’s close to. It appears River is staying with her because I found a recent phone bill for her with Gina’s address on it.

On the surface, I didn’t find anything to do with her father or Gina that seemed out of the ordinary, but I noted that her ex-fiancé went by an alias.

Even though I was never going to like the guy, I found it suspicious that he’d have an alias. It’s difficult but not impossible to find intel on people like that.

The question is, do I keeping looking? Should I dig deeper?

Do I reopen the deep wound between River and me that was created when we broke up?

I don’t know.

I reach the management floor. The boardroom is at the end of the corridor.

Until my grandfather retires, these meetings will continue to be held here at the Wall Street branch of Graysons Inc. I haven’t been here in weeks as I’ve been working at the Park Avenue branch with Knight. After he assumed the role as the branch’s CEO, I went over with him because we work together.

After yesterday’s scandal with Bastian, I know this meeting is going to be one of those I wish I could miss. My grandfather is going to be pissed as fuck, and I’m sure heads will roll.

I also expect a confrontation from my father and Bastian, even though I know they have nothing to challenge me with. Any questions asked will be more to do with finding out if I’m planning to make Bastian’s situation worse.

The two will also be riled up because they know any chance of Bastian becoming CFO of Park Avenue is out the window. We originally thought he’d never want to work under Knight, until weeks ago, when he dropped the comment that he still had that option. That’s when I knew I had to strike. There was no way in hell I was going to allow him to get my legacy, and the motherfucker would also get control over the main branch when our father retires, or dies.

As I’m a few minutes early, I walk through the already opened door only to come face to face with my rivals.

Father and Bastian are sitting on the left side of the long mahogany table, closer than two peas in a pod. The two of them glare at me with looks designed to kill.

I’m used to it.

My father told me on many occasions that he’d wished I’d never been born, so I’m sure if he could kill me—one of his bastard children—he wouldn’t hesitate.

Knight and I look like him. Bastian has the same resemblance, so you can tell we’re brothers, but his hair is blond like Sloane’s, his mother.

Their seething eyes follow me as I make my way to the other side of the table and sit. The moment I do, tension fills the room like a cloud of smoke, then grows so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Father leans forward onto the table and intensifies his glare. “The news yesterday,” his words pierce through the silence. “You didn’t have anything to do with it, did you?”

I tilt my head and give him a wide-eyed stare. “In what ways, Father?” I always call him Father with that disdain and mocking edge because he loathes Knight and me referring to him as our father. We only do it at our grandfather’s request.

“You tell me, son.” He borrows my tone.

I smile and look from him to Bastian. “Did I tell Bastian to keep seeing Lana Jamison? Or did I tell him to continue sleeping with her?” I raise my shoulders into a succinct shrug.

A sour look taints his face further. “You know that’s not what I mean.”

“Well, I don’t know what you mean. The last time I heard anything about this, we were making a deal to never speak of it again.” I flick my gaze to Bastian, who looks more nervous. “From that moment, I thought it was a given that Bastian should have stopped seeing Lana. Except he didn’t. That was risky, don’t you think?”

“If I ever find out that you had—”

“I wouldn’t be threatening me if I were you,” I cut him off and keep my gaze sharp. “Especially knowing I have a sex tape. Or knowing that I might be able to get my hands on other things. Things that might confirm just how long Bastian has been seeing her.”

Bastian already looked pale. Now, his skin has turned a deadly shade of alabaster, making me realize my suspicions about him being with Lana before she turned seventeen were right.

I hit him with a mirthless grin. “Was it love, brother? You really fell for a seventeen-year-old?” My tone is disdainful, but as I say those words, I think of myself and River.

I’m nearly three years older than her. When we met, I was seventeen, mere months away from my eighteenth birthday, and she just turned fifteen.

Father is about to say something, but Bastian stops him by placing his hand over his.

“Just drop it, Father. All of it.” Bastian’s voice is as flat as the untuned keys of an old piano.

“I think so, too,” I agree, giving them both a wicked grin. “Listen to your son, Father, and drop it. I’m not the one in trouble here. He is, and fuck knows what might happen next. Teddy Jamison is not a man to trifle with. But neither am I.”

They look afraid now, because they know I’m right.

Light laughter falls from my lips at the sight of them—two untouchable men who made my life hell growing up.

Knight is always telling me how dangerous I am. Now my father and Bastian know it, too. For once, I finally have the upper hand.

It’s true what people say. Payback is one hell of a boss bitch, and revenge is a dish best served cold. I got both here.

Father and Bastian have treated Knight and me like filth all our lives. It was because he didn’t want us. He even tried to deny that we were his after he broke things off with our mother while she was pregnant with me.

He made her believe they were going to be a family but upped and left when he got a better deal with Sloane. Sloane’s family owns a diamond business. Marriage to her opened the door to more money and power, so my mother never stood a chance.

My grandfather stepped in and made sure we had the lives we were supposed to have, but that didn’t stop the bad treatment that came from our father—the abuse.

My abuse. Knight had it bad, but I had it worse because back then, I wasn’t as strong as him. Father used that to his advantage.

The saying ‘Monsters are made, not born’ is true, and right now, I’m looking at the man who turned me into the ruthless son of a bitch I am. This stint of mine is hardcore retribution. My only regret is that I couldn’t do much worse.

The sound of Grandfather’s voice outside the room prevents the heated conversation from continuing. Knowing my father, he’s already started to put damage control in place. A moment later, he walks in with Knight at his side, and Grandfather looks just as angry as I knew he’d be.

The emotion becomes full bloom when he looks at Bastian. The redness in his face makes his hair appear whiter and the wrath in his steely eyes more pronounced.

Grandfather just turned seventy, but he looks like he could give Bastian the fight of his life. I think he could. We got the Grayson height and build from him, and my grandfather is a man who never misses a day in the gym, so he’d be equally matched with Bastian no matter his age.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so angry. That’s saying a lot since my little scandal months ago nearly lost us one of our top investors. Bastian’s incident is different, though. We’re talking about the governor’s daughter here.

Knight walks over to sit next to me, and we acknowledge each other with our habitual nod. Grandfather closes the door, then takes his seat at the head of the table.

The room turns graveyard silent, a level of quiet below what it previously was. The nothingness is so potent, I can almost hear the blood flowing through my veins.

“Good morning, men.” Grandfather finally speaks, but his tone is as harsh as his seething glare. I would feel worse for the situation if the ends didn’t justify the means. “In light of yesterday’s scandal, we have a lot to discuss. I am so deeply embarrassed and enraged by what’s happened.” He presses his hands into the table’s surface as if he’s trying to force his rage into the wood.

“We tried to call you last night to explain,” Father attempts, but Grandfather holds up his hand, cutting him off.

“No. There is no we here. This is about Bastian.” Grandfather’s voice rises by several octaves, and his nostrils flair like a bull ready to charge. “Bastian, what do you have to say for yourself?” I have to give my grandfather credit for the balls he always shows, no matter who he’s dealing with.

Bastian sets his shoulders back and tries to compose his shame. “I can only apologize for my behavior. It wasn’t my intention to make the company look bad.”

“Our name always brings media’s attention. You should have known better than to get involved with that girl. We’re only lucky that Teddy Jamison isn’t one of our shareholders, or investors, and the people we have who are affiliated with him have more loyalty to us.”

That is exactly what made this plan so perfect. It’s why I did what I did.

I would never put the company in jeopardy. Not like I did before. That was a genuine mistake.

Months ago, I hooked up with a woman I never knew was married to one of the most popular gospel leaders in New York. Unfortunately for me, he also happened to be one of our biggest investors.

That was how I ended up with this marriage stipulation I’m still calling a punishment. I’m also certain it was Bastian who sent the paparazzi to follow me that night, but I had no proof.

“What is your decision on the matter?” Father asks, cutting to the chase.

“The board have all voted to remove Bastian from the company. However, I overruled the decision.” Grandfather keeps his eyes on Father. “The decision I’ve come to instead is to send Bastian to Hong Kong for the next three years.”

Knight and I exchange surprised glances.

“Three years. Are you serious?” Bastian’s face flushes red, and he balls his hand into a fist.

“Of course, I’m serious.”

Father’s eyes widen with a mixture of rage and annoyance. “Is there nothing better you can do?”

“That is my offer. This is still my company, and I get the final word.” Grandfather sits straighter and returns his focus to Bastian. “Take the offer or leave it, but if you decline it, I’m afraid I’ll be asking you to leave the company.”

“I’m not leaving,” Bastian speaks up.

“A wise choice. The remaining ten months of my stay here will be focused on making sure that the company is running smoothly.” That means he’s going to give them hell.

I get the feeling that if Grandfather weren’t retiring, he’d fire Bastian. This is him being compassionate.

“This new change means you can no longer be considered for the CFO position at Park Avenue. I’m sure that’s understandable.”

Bastian nods, but it’s with defeat in his eyes. “I understand.”

Good. Mission accomplished. Neither of them can get in my way anymore.

Grandfather continues talking about the plans he has for the company before his retirement. The meeting takes up over two hours and ends on the same ominous note as it began with a warning.

Bastian and Father are the first to leave. Once they’re gone, Grandfather focuses on me.

“It’s all up to you now,” he says with a slight dip of his head.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you down.” I sound a little too confident.

“I hope to meet the lucky lady soon.”

“Me too,” Knight cuts in, but he doesn’t look like he believes there’s a lucky lady to meet.

I have him believing the same thing I told my grandfather—that I’m dating.

Thank God I have Luc sworn to secrecy, or I’d have Knight on my ass for lying and scheming around with something so important to us.

“You’ll both meet her soon.” I feel like I’m walking on the edge of a plank by promising something like that, but at least I have a date with the Megan Fox look-alike in a few days. That should hopefully give me enough time to get River out of my head.

“Good. That’s really good to hear.” Grandfather smiles, seeming more at ease.

“Thanks.”

“Well, I guess I’ll see you both later.”

“See you later.”

With that said, we leave, and I know even before Knight opens his mouth that he’s going to ask me about my mystery woman.

“You’ve been super quiet about this mystery girl,” he states when we reach the hallway and are out of earshot of everyone else.

“Better to be quiet until you’re certain.”

“I guess so, but you’d normally tell me more by now.”

“This is an abnormal situation.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” He nods, looking as if he agrees with my reasoning. “I’m just concerned that the deadline is getting closer. With Bastian out of the way, don’t think that Grandfather will automatically give you the position if you don’t meet his demands.”

“Believe me, I won’t make that mistake. I saw how serious he was back there. He’s shown more than once that he’ll make you work for what you want.”

“He certainly will. We’ve all had to work for what we want. And make sacrifices.”

Knight wasn’t exactly told to get married, but he did it originally because Grandfather wanted him to own Sunset Cove, a resort in the Hamptons. It belonged to Aurora, which was how they got together, but Knight had to move Heaven and Earth to meet my grandfather’s demands. In the process, he almost lost his wife.

As I stare at Knight, I think of how much he’s changed since marrying Aurora and becoming a father.

He’s been married to Aurora for eight months now. He already worshipped the ground his wife walked on, but the baby news transformed him into something else. Probably into the guy he wished our father could be.

“Don’t worry about me, Knight. I always come through.”

He smirks. “Funnily enough, you do.”

“I do.”

“Well, looks like you got everything under control. I’ve got back-to-back meetings until four, then I’m heading out. Aurora has a sonogram. I’m around until then, if you need me.”

“Cool. Catch you later.”

We part ways, and the moment I’m alone, River resurfaces in my mind like a forbidden fantasy I know I should forget.

The sensible thing to do is listen to her.

I should leave her alone and worry about what the hell I’m going to do about picking this mystery wife of mine.

I entertain the idea for all of one minute before I find myself planning to return to Club Edge later tonight. It’s like I’ve lost my damn mind and I’m eighteen again, planning to hook up with the girl I was warned to stay away from.

I reach the club at the same time as I did last night and seat myself in the same seat in the VIP Area.

River comes on for her performance, and we have that moment once more when she gets up to my balcony.

Tonight, she’s dressed in a spandex emerald-green leotard with sequins and diamantés splashed over it.

The look on her face when she notices me is a deadly combo of surprise and fury, but like every other man here with eyes, I allow myself the pleasure of looking at her.

Really looking and fantasying.

Unlike every fucker in here who wants her, I’m the only one who had her first.

I took the cherry between her legs.

I claimed her virgin body, made her mine, and I’d be a goddamn liar if I said I didn’t want her again.

Wanting her was never the problem. I always did.

Her cheeks flush crimson as if she can read my mind, then the aerial hoop floats away from the area. Away from me.

Last night, she didn’t look back. Tonight, she does. It’s just for a few seconds, but her eyes lock with mine.

I don’t know what I hoped to achieve by coming here again. Trying to talk to her like I did last night is probably fruitless. I could make it happen if I wanted to, but it’s the wrong environment.

An idea crosses my mind for what could be the right place to talk, so I leave after her performance and catch up with her again the morning at the café. The perfect place to speak.

But this is it. My one shot.

After today, I’ll leave her alone. I should.

It was my fault everything changed for her.

The one mistake I can’t take back ruined her family and ruined us, too.

I took a job I shouldn’t have, and her father paid the price heavily.

She doesn’t know that was my fault.

I couldn’t tell her and break her in such a way.

That was why I couldn’t be with her.