“Not in this case. People hate people all the time, and there’s no love underneath it. I think that’s an ignorant thing to say.”
“Okay, it’s not true in all cases. But in situations like this…you’re upset because he’s your brother. You love him—”
“Loved him,” he corrected. “He means nothing to me now. And he deserves every bad thing that’s coming his way. Simone will rip out his heart, humiliate him in front of the entire world, and then castrate him. A part of me wants this to happen, just so he can suffer and tell me I was right.” There was no shame in his eyes. “You can think less of me all you want. But people don’t appreciate forgiveness or kindness. They only understand cruelty. That’s the only thing that ever sticks with them.” He gently moved me off his lap so he could stand. “I think you should go. I’ll have my driver take you home.”
“What if I want to stay?” I wanted to keep talking to him, to soothe the aches and scars all over his heart.
He grabbed my dress and panties and tossed them at me. “I don’t care. I want you to go. So, go.”
15
Slate
Anytime my thoughts lingered on my brother and Simone, it brought out the bitterness in me.
It made me want to be alone, to sit in my silent apartment and pretend I was the only person left on the planet. Perhaps if I didn’t have to work with my brother on a regular basis, I could actually let this go. If he moved across the country and started a whole new life, I would never have to think about him again.
But now I had to look at him on a regular basis—that whore on his arm.
Monroe was only trying to make me feel better, but her comfort annoyed me. I shouldn’t have asked her to leave, not if I wanted to get laid, but I was in too much of a bad mood. Even if she were finally ready to put out, I would have turned her down.
Days passed, and I went to work like usual, enjoying the parts of my job that had no interaction with my brother or his tramp. He was in the building often, but his office was on a different floor, and we never bumped into each other in the lobby. There were two sets of elevators on opposite sides of the building. He always used one, while I used the other.
Now that I knew Coen would marry her at the end of summer, I dreaded the passing of time. With every new day, his nuptials came closer. If that prenup were signed, I wouldn’t care about his mistakes.
I hated knowing my brother’s actions had a hold on me in some way. I didn’t want anyone to have power over me in any instance. When they did stupid shit, it directly affected me. The company had been reinvented with my blood, sweat, and tears, but depending on how shitty things got, I might have to sell my portion and start my own company.
It would be nice to run him out of business.
The thought made me smile.
Even though my mom would be pissed.
I sat at my desk and watched my phone ring. Max’s name appeared on the screen. I picked it up and took his call. “Max.”
“Slate, what’s the deal? I’ve got a line of beautiful women ready for you, but you aren’t taking the bait. They keep asking when this is gonna happen, and I’m running out of excuses.”
I had every right to continue my previous ways. Monroe was just another woman I bought, but I had to wait until I got to use her. In the meantime, I should live my life normally, satisfy myself with my specific urges.
But for some reason, I didn’t want to.
My mind was so laser-focused on Monroe that another woman didn’t seem appealing. Her cherry was the only one I wanted to pop. Once I had my way with her, my conquest would be finished, and my interest would evaporate. Then I would revert to my previous behavior since Monroe would no longer be on my mind. But for now, fucking another virgin didn’t feel right, not when I would wish she were Monroe the entire time. “Let’s put all of that on hold for the moment.”
“What?” Max asked blankly. “The entire operation?”
“Yes.”
“Everything alright? We’ve been doing this five years, and now you just stop? Something seems off.”
“I’m just taking a break. Don’t worry about it.”
“So what do I tell the girls? Your shop is closed for the next month?”
A month should be plenty of time. Monroe had to crack before then. “Yes, we’ll resume in a month.”
“Alright…but you can’t expect these girls to stay virgins forever.”
They were all beautiful and desirable. Men on the streets could sniff them out like wolves. They wanted a piece of the action, to conquer virgin territory. But for every woman who lost their cherry to someone else, another one emerged. And their attributes didn’t seem important in comparison to Monroe’s. “A month, Max.” I hung up and tossed the phone on the table.