And she was my queen.
When I walked into my office at Ruin, Jackson was already there.
He was sitting in the high-back chair and facing my desk, his blue eyes following me as I walked around and sat in the chair on the opposite side. His fingers brushed against the scruff of his chin, appearing indifferent even though he obviously felt the opposite. “Numbers are the same. We should be growing. That’s what businesses do.”
“We don’t have the room.” I didn’t need to look at the numbers to understand what Jackson was talking about. “If we have too many members, everything will be crowded, and people will stop showing.”
“And yet, gyms do it all the time. Never enough cardio machines, and the weight room is always packed.”
I was used to his sarcasm, so it no longer affected me. “No.”
“Then we should open that second location that we talked about.”
“No.” With two businesses, I was already tied down. Now that I had Rome around every day, my time was even more restricted. It was difficult for me to come to Ruin without Rome figuring out what I was really doing.
“Is that the only word you know how to say?” He straightened in his chair, giving me a hateful look.
“To you, yes.”
He rolled his eyes, clearly pissed off. “Then what do we do?”
“We enjoy the success and live our lives.”
“Dad always said if a business isn’t growing, it’s failing.”
Like I didn’t remember. Our father drilled his experience into me every single day. Like a messiah, he pretended to know all the answers. “We’re fine, Jackson. It’ll only make Ruin more exclusive, and we can raise the prices for members. We can double the revenue without doubling the members. That’s better, if you ask me.”
If Jackson had a comeback, he would have said something by now. But he remained silent in his chair, staring me down with even more rage. He hated me for being wrong, but he absolutely loathed me for being right. Tired of living in my shadow, he let his anger make him do even more immature things.
“So, we’re sticking with our original plan. Things could be worse, Jackson. So, lighten up.”
“I’ll lighten up when Rome is out of the picture.”
I knew he would bring her up. It was only a matter of time. “What’s your problem, Jackson?” He never stuck his nose into my love life, but now he was obsessed with it. I never showed curiosity about the women he dated. I couldn’t care less where he put his dick.
“I told you my problem in the bar weeks ago.” He stared me down with his typical threatening edge.
“She’s not changing me.”
“Fine. Keep lying to yourself.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but she and I are making progress. When she’s ready, I’ll tell her the truth. I’ll introduce her to the underworld and turn her into the devil himself. I’ll be at your beck and call all over again. So, just chill.”
“Seriously?” He cocked his head to the side, examining me closely.
“Yes. Seriously.”
“What does that mean? She’s into kinky shit?”
She liked it when I twisted her nipples and spanked her ass. She was definitely open to new things besides vanilla sex. When we were in the heat of the moment, she would obey my commands. I wished she would do it all the time, but I’d settle for that. “Something like that.”
“What about Isabella?”
“What about her?” I hadn’t been with her in three months, yet she always came up. Honestly, I didn’t even think about her.
“She still wants you.”
So desperate. So weak. So undesirable. “That’s her problem, not mine. So what’s new with you, Jackson? Who are you humping?”
He ignored the comment.
“Sorry, am I being too nosy?” I asked sarcastically.
“Fuck you, Cal.” He finally walked out of my office, slamming the door behind him. For just a moment, the sound of techno dance music entered my office. The bass thudded against the walls, mimicking the migraine beginning behind my eyes.
“Fuck you too.”
3
Rome
It was noon.
Christopher was coming by my office to pick me up for lunch. Even though we lived together, we didn’t see each other as often as I thought we would. So when he asked me to get sandwiches for lunch, I agreed.
The bell rang overhead, and I immediately stood up and grabbed my purse. I had a short lunch break because I had a meeting with a donor at one. We were organizing a canned food drive all over the city. Several department stores had agreed to participate. “I’m in a hurry today, so let’s save the chitchat and get going—” My mouth shut when I came face-to-face with Hank.
Great.
He was handsome in his suit and tie, but the look was deceptive. He came in a pretty package, but he was an evil monster on the inside. As the DA of New York City, he had more power than any single man should have. And he used it to his advantage—in the cruelest ways. “Hey, honey. You look nice today.”