Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
I bit back a groan. “For what? Please say shoes because that’s the only thing I need more of, and I don’t trust that tailor guy to pick ones that won’t pinch.”
She stepped forward and grabbed my arm to pull me out of the dressing room. Turkey had long returned to the bedroom for another nap, although this time, she was curled up on a window seat in the sun. “We can definitely do that, but we need you to pick out a gift for your beloved, remember? You and I are going to be seen shopping together to reassure everyone that the upstart American has been fully assessed and embraced by the family.”
As we made our way back through the winding corridors, I thought about what I could possibly get for Landry that he didn’t already have. It wasn’t easy to buy gifts for a billionaire. Believe me, I’d had years of learning it the hard way.
But because of my experience, I’d learned a few tricks along the way. “Are there any photo galleries you recommend?”
She put on an exaggerated pout. “Yes, but I was hoping more for lingerie or novelty toys.”
As we made our way into the Range Rover in the underground garage, my cheeks blazed. While there was no chance in hell I’d buy either of those things on a PR outing with Cora Davencourt, her teasing mention of it brought back a certain memory.
Which led to the entire ride to Bond Street being taken up pleasantly with images of Landry modeling items he’d received in a gift basket from Véloce Intimates.
There were perks to sleeping with the most beautiful man in the world. Some nights, those booty calls were impromptu fashion shows of the very best kind.
SIXTEEN
LANDRY
“You’re avoiding him,” Silas said in a voice meant to intimidate.
Unfortunately for him, after dealing with Kenji’s mixed messages at brunch, followed by Zane’s heartrending phone call, the prime minister’s polite yet powerful manipulations during our meeting, and that fucking kiss in the hallway that had frayed the last shreds of my control, I was done playing the obedient pup.
“Fuck you. You have no idea what’s happening between me and Kenji,” I snapped.
There was a long pause over the phone. “I was talking about Zane. He’s been trying to call you back for two hours.”
I glanced down at the phone and watched as sweat drops slipped off my nose, splashing on the glass.
There were three missed calls from Zane, two from Bash, and a text from Silas warning me to call or I will track you down.
I tossed the phone onto the bathroom counter before peeling my soaked running shirt off, careful not to dislodge my earbuds. “I was in a meeting, then I went for a run, and you know my workout app shuts off my messages. Listen… I’m sorry. I know I’m handling all this poorly. I should have called you and told you about… well, everything… and not let you find out through the fucking paparazzi headlines. I get it. I’m an asshole. I’m just… dealing with a lot of shit right now.”
Silas’s voice softened the barest amount. “It sounds like it. But you need to know we’re not about to let you go without a fight.”
“Go?” I asked, feeling a sudden and catastrophic cavern open up in my chest. “Go?”
“If you think you can just flip a switch and suddenly be this Everett Davencourt earl-type guy and forget everyone who cares about you back home, you can just—”
The dam cracked, and so did my voice. “Are you fucking kidding? You four—the Brotherhood—and Kenji, you’re… you’re my family,” I said, feeling saliva pool in my mouth as my jaw tensed and my throat thickened. “You’re the only fucking people who know me for who I truly am. I’m not going anywhere. I can’t. I need you. Do you have any idea how much I need you? I’m fucking dying here, Silas. Jesus.”
“Hey, hey. Okay. Okay. We’re here. That’s… fuck, that’s what I was saying. You can’t get rid of us that easily. We can be there by morning.”
“No,” I said quickly. “No, please don’t. I can’t… it’s too much right now, alright? I can’t add a pack of feral billionaires to this shitshow. Please just… just give me some time. I need some time.”
Silence settled over the line as I reached for a tissue from a nearby box and swiped at my face. Thankfully, the overwhelming tide of emotion went dutifully back into its battered steel box.
“Okay,” Silas said. “But you need to call Zane and tell him you didn’t mean to hurt him.”
“I didn’t!”
“I know.” He sighed. “Zane knows it, too. Just… call him. It’s important.”
He was right, of course, but that didn’t make it any easier to dial Zane’s number. Zane was the gentlest of my brothers, which made me feel that much guiltier. How could I apologize for such a huge lie of omission?