The ultimate revenge. A precarious second chance at love. And a dirty trick that plays so hard on hearts that one gets broken...and the other one could lose everything.
So much for that. It’s all I can think about after seeing the questionable text message. His reaction to it would be telling to anyone else. But me, stupidly, I trust him. Until I find out the truth and it sets me free. Jagger is the last person I want to go to, but in my line of work, I don’t see how I have a choice. But the past comes back to bite me in the ass, just like I thought it would, and in more ways than one. Painfully, he’s still the hottest man I know, and the smartest. And he holds the ticket to my future, but does he know that he may have the ticket to my heart, too?
***
I know she’s coming back the second that I see her name on the list. Bowie is no more impressed by her decision to come knocking on my door than I am. But I get it. And with the industry - and by that, I mean my brothers - breathing down my neck, I haven’t got a choice but to hire her. The past still haunts me. I try to hide it but, just like back then, Bowie can see right through me. It’s a gift. So is she. But I can’t tell her that, or it could cost us everything. He was a fool. But can I count on him being fool enough to stay away? If I don’t play my cards right, I risk losing two of the things that I love the most in life.
...and she’s worth it. She just doesn’t know it...yet.
Excerpt
Chapter 1
Jagger
“Jagger! Jagger, now! Don’t stop!” She squeals through a pant, as I thrust into her, thanking Christ that I sent the rest of my office staff home hours ago. Tammy is bent over my oak desk, as I enter her from behind, so drunk on lust I almost forget about the fact that my brother Rush will be here in ten minutes. Tammy mewls as I empty myself into her, grateful for the long overdue release, and I slow, watching as she lays her head down on the lid of my closed laptop, and closes her eyes, breathless. “God, that was good, baby.” She says on exhale.
“Not bad at all.” I agree, pulling out of her, taking care of the condom.
She zips up her skirt and straightens her blouse. “Rush will be here in ten. Go fix your hair.” She says, turning to me, wiping a smear of her lipstick off my collarbone.
Hands through my hair, I walk over to the mirror next to my collection of diplomas hanging on the wall, and straighten my tie. “How’s that email blast coming along?”
“Good.” She swallows, as she ties her hair back up. “I’ll just get another pair of eyeballs on it and get it out first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Send it to me. I’ll look it over.”
Her guffaw is telling. “You’re meeting with your brother, the consultant, who is working towards accelerating Lawson Enterprises from a billion-dollar to a multi-billion-dollar company, in ten minutes, and yet you want to edit an email to staff? Talk about micro-managing, Jagger.”
“It’s not beneath me.”
I may come from a family of billionaires, but we all started from nothing.
“That’s why you hired me.” She argues kindly.
“Actually, I hired Gretchen for editing, and emailing, so that’s where you’re wrong. You are my personal assistant, and you should have delegated that email in the first place.”
After she fixes the chignon at the base of her neck, she rounds on me. “What are we talking about here, Jagger? I mean, you’re up to your ears in fucking work, that’s why your brother is coming, isn’t it? The last thing you need is to edit a fucking email, or to tell me how to run this office.”
“You don’t run this office. Stella, the office manager does. And in all the time that we’ve been arguing about it, that email would be done.”
With a huff and an eyeroll, she walks out of my office. Her attitude sucks but she’s a no-bullshit kind of person and she gets the job done. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that she has loose morals and the libido of a high school boy. She never makes it obvious that we’re fucking, either, and she has no interest in a relationship, so it’s a win-win for both of us. Five minutes later, there’s a tap on my door. “Yeah.” I call out, knowing that it’s Rush.
He walks in, carrying his briefcase. I swear to God that thing is an appendage. He never goes anywhere without it. Rush takes a seat without any eye contact and gets down to business, pulling his laptop out of the briefcase. “Halen’s gonna be coming by shortly with some leads.”
“Yeah? Good.” I mutter while opening my laptop. Tammy’s face print is still on it. Rush looks up at me as I wipe it off with a disinfectant wipe from the receptacle on my desk. “Ever feel like you’re drowning?” I ask rhetorically.
“You’re not drowning, Jagger. You’re moving to the next level, and aside from a lack of manpower, you’re well on your way.”
“It’s not just that. I’ve got one hell of a hurdle to get past, with the bid on the European markets.”
“It’s in the bag. You are the most sought-after engine manufacturer in the northern hemisphere. You’re the only one with a patent for the hybrid vehicles that doesn’t have all the environmental bullshit that the other ones do, and you know it. You’ve just got to get your fucking head out of the sand and focus. And the only way you’re going to do that without a hitch, is with the proper team in place. That’s your weak spot.”
“And you think you can fix that.”
“I identify your vulnerable areas and advise you on what to do to fix them, and Halen has the highest retention rate for hiring fit personnel in the business. That’s why you hired us, man. It was the smartest thing you did.”
We hear a knock at the door and Halen’s face appears. “Come on in, brother. Perfect timing.” I tell him.
He, too, has a briefcase in his hand. “Sorry I’m late. But it couldn’t be helped.”
A look of concern crosses over my face. “Is everything okay?”
Halen looks at Rush, like they have a mutual secret. Rush looks at him, but ultimately pays more attention to his laptop. “I didn’t want to say anything, and Rush told me to keep it under wraps until things calm down, but you’ll fucking kill me if you find out that I knew and didn’t tell you, regardless of my reasons.”
Rush rakes a hand through his hair and closes his laptop.
Fuck.
Halen clasps his hands together. “It was only through the grapevine until this morning that I’d heard.”
“Heard what?” I ask, sitting up higher in my chair.
“Kruger Manufacturing.” He says with a head tilt upward, as if saying the name of my competitor is explanation enough.
“What about them?” I ask, dividing my glance between both my brothers. I watch Rush scrape a hand down his face and I feel my stomach start to knot up.
“It seems that there’s been a divide in the company.” Rush offers.
“What kind of divide?”
Halen pulls up an article on his laptop and turns it so I can see it. “I know that you’ve been up to your balls in work, so you wouldn’t have noticed. But it’s my job to pay fucking attention, so here it is.”
I look at the article. I’m shocked but confused. “Shouldn’t this be good news? I mean, Kruger’s losing his right-hand woman. I don’t get it. Why should I fucking care, man?” I feel my stomach loosen a little, but it’s just a moment too soon, as I’ll find out more in the next five minutes.
“She leaves him he’s a loose cannon, for one.” Rush points out.
“So? Isn’t that good for me? I don’t get it. What’s the catch?”
My brothers once again exchange a look.
I’m growing frustrated. “Fucking out with it, guys. Quit fucking around. What’s the problem.”
Rush sighs. “It’ll divide your focus.”
“Why? Why the fuck should it divide my focus? I’m up to my fucking ears in work, I’m looking for like twenty new heads to help out around here, minimum, I’m bidding for the biggest opportunity that my business has had to date, so why the fuck should I care that Boston Kruger and Bowie Ritter are calling it quits?”
Rush shakes his head. “Only because Bowie was, and I quote, ‘the love of your fucking life’, and now she’s a free agent.”
I laugh out loud. “Maybe fifteen years ago, man, but not anymore. Hell, she signed her walking papers the second she went out with that douche bag back in high school. You guys are both off your rockers. I couldn’t give two shits about her anymore. As far as I’m concerned, Bowie can go hop in the sack with the goddamn CEO of the Ford Motor Company, and I wouldn’t give a shit.”
“Riiiiiight.” Rush says, unconvinced.
I give him a look like he just asked me how many balls I have in my shorts. “What the fuck is your problem, man? I haven’t even seen or spoken to Bowie in ten years, and the only reason why I spoke with her at the high school reunion is because her fucking boyfriend was too drunk to drive her home, the asshole.”
This is where Halen gets annoyed. “Please. You kept her fucking bra for five years after you porked her. You were so devastated that she chose Boston over you that you even turned down goddamn Stacey Milligan, the hottest chick in high school, for senior prom. Why the fuck she wanted to be seen with a pissant like you is beyond me, but whatever. You lost your chance with two of the sexiest girls in North Carolina, and you’ve been a mess ever since.”
A ‘v’ forms between my brows as I crane my neck backward. My voice is almost a squeak. “What is this? The fucking Sally Jesse Raphael show? Since when do you two dickwads care about my love life? And since when is any of this relevant? For all we know, this could be a fucking media ploy. You know as well as I do that Boston Kruger pulls out all the stops. That dude plays dirty. He and Bowie could be sitting in their airport-sized living room, sipping wine, clinking glasses to the beat of us idiots that are buying into the whole stupid story.”
“I doubt it, dude.” Rush guffaws, shaking his head.
“First of all, Boston isn’t smart enough to pull that shit off, even with the proper PR.” Halen points out. “I ran it past Stevie, and she agrees.”
Stevie is our sister. She owns a PR firm.
“So you know for a fact that this shit isn’t fake.” I check, half irritated, half pissed off. I hate it when I’m wrong.
“She’s still digging into the whole story, but so far everything checks out.” Halen confirms.
“Fuckoff.” I whine. “This stinks of Boston and his antics. You remember him in high school? Cheated on every fucking test, stole my fucking girlfriend, copied my goddamn assignments. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the asshole has some spy on my premises, poaching my bloody patents.”
“That’s why we’re hiring you a team of lawyers.” Rush states. “I’ve got two more on a retainer right now, as we speak.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t trust anyone.” I state, miffed.
“And that’s number three of four reasons why we’re concerned about you, Jagger.” Halen adds.
“What’s wrong with that? Hell, I’m not going to risk losing everything I’ve worked my ass off for, just for not keeping up with shit. That’s also why I have you guys. I’m aware that outside threats exist. I’m not stupid. But I think that you guys are way off base here. Look, I know Boston. We both learned from the same goddamn teachers, and we studied the same programs in almost the same fucking classes in college. If we’d gotten along better, we might have gone into business together, but since he ruined my fucking life, thanks to him, we’ve been enemies for as long as I can remember.”
“And you don’t think that if this story is true, which it is, that it’s going to affect this business?” Halen checks. “You don’t think that once the news spreads, that Boston is going to lose his shit? That he’s going to be out for blood?”
I shrug. “Why the fuck would that have anything to do with me?”
Rush speaks frankly. “Because Bowie was the brains behind that company. She kept that idiot in check. You remember the conference two years ago? When she didn’t show up and he got smashed out of his mind? Almost started a brawl with that dude from Ford?”
“Yeah, that’s where I benefit.” I point out. “If she’s left him, then it’s a win for me. But I don’t believe that she left him. She’s got too much at stake. They’ve been together since high school. He’s just as rich as me and she’s got more education than that dillhole has. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to let her walk.” Bowie went to an ivy league school after being offered an academic scholarship, while me and Boston attended the University of North Carolina and started getting our feet wet opening our separate businesses. Bowie didn’t come from money like we did, so she paired up with Boston, like everyone expected, and went into business with him, since he had the money, and she didn’t.
“I agree it would be messy. Depending on their agreement, she could take him for all that he’s worth, since she’s got just as much of a stake in that company as he does.” Halen volunteers.
“Yeah, but the asshole never put a ring on her finger, man.” I point out. “Who knows what sort of complication that causes.”
Rush scoffs, smirking. “With all your money and all this business and shit, do you see yourself ever tying the knot? Would you be stupid enough to do that?”
I look at him like he just asked if he could whizz in my Ficus. “Fuck no. I could never trust anyone that much, are you kidding? Plus, I’m married to this place, man. This comes first. Nothing else would ever come in the way of what I have.”
“Here here.” Rush taps my fist with his.
“That goes double for me.” Halen adds.
I change the subject matter slightly. “So, Stevie’s been sniffing around? Making sure that this whole thing isn’t a PR stunt?”
“At least within her realm of PR people, yes. She’s got contacts that her other contacts can report back to and that’s what she’s working on right now. But if Boston is as cunning as you think he is, who knows. I doubt that the dude is that smart to pull off losing his closest business partner as a gag. And what for, anyway?” Rush shrugs.
“To make me think that he’s vulnerable.” I lift my chin. “It’s the perfect alibi with this international deal looming. If word gets out that he’s weak then he thinks we’ll lay off a little. Sit back and let him put his foot in his own mouth.” I reason.
“But isn’t that a risk for the deal?” Halen asks. “I mean, if his CEO walked, won’t that make him look like a sitting duck?”
“Well, so far, the media in the states has been made aware.” Rush responds. “Nobody across the pond or elsewhere knows, according to Stevie.”
“It’s a small world, man.” I counter. “Word will get around.”
“But you don’t buy it.” Halen tests.
“I don’t.” I agree, resting my feet on the desk, sitting back. “And even if he was caught without a CEO, you don’t think that since Bowie’s female, that that’ll make him look more appealing across the pond? Those Europeans...not too hot on chicks pulling that much weight.”
“Yeah, and besides, think of the pool of fucking Kruger Manufacturing wannabees that’ll be coming up out of the woodwork. Hell, how much of a coveted spot is Bowie’s, hm? He’ll have that position filled in the blink of an eye.” Halen confers.
Tapping my fingers on the desk, I draw in a deep breath and release it. “So, what have you got for me, Rush? What’s behind door number one, two and three for me for recruitment?”
Again, Rush and Halen exchange a look. Halen looks at his watch. “Shit, I’ve got a dinner meeting at seven. Come by my place in the morning and we’ll talk it over.”
“What?” I almost squeak. “What the fuck did you come all the way over here for then?” I’m skeptical and feeling played, but in my heart of hearts, I know that my brother is a straight shooter. Nonetheless, I feel like there’s more to this story than they’re both letting on.
“Gotta go.” Halen says, rising abruptly from the leather guest chair that he was sitting on.
I know better than to press him, so I let him go, and resign myself to berate him tomorrow. When the door closes behind him, I look at Rush. “What the fuck is his problem.” I say as more of a statement than as a question.
Rush looks at me with conviction and I freeze in place. “You want my advice, little brother?”
After a sigh, I sit back in my chair, wondering what other good news I’m about to get today. “Hit me with it.”
“Forget about Bowie.”
“I did. Fifteen years ago.”
He looks me straight in the eye. “Don’t fuck with me, Jagger. I know you too well.”
“Fine.” I speak through gritted teeth.
Rush tucks his laptop into his bag and rises. He walks to the door. But before he leaves, he turns to me.
“And stop fucking your goddamn assistant.”
So much for that. It’s all I can think about after seeing the questionable text message. His reaction to it would be telling to anyone else. But me, stupidly, I trust him. Until I find out the truth and it sets me free. Jagger is the last person I want to go to, but in my line of work, I don’t see how I have a choice. But the past comes back to bite me in the ass, just like I thought it would, and in more ways than one. Painfully, he’s still the hottest man I know, and the smartest. And he holds the ticket to my future, but does he know that he may have the ticket to my heart, too?
***
I know she’s coming back the second that I see her name on the list. Bowie is no more impressed by her decision to come knocking on my door than I am. But I get it. And with the industry - and by that, I mean my brothers - breathing down my neck, I haven’t got a choice but to hire her. The past still haunts me. I try to hide it but, just like back then, Bowie can see right through me. It’s a gift. So is she. But I can’t tell her that, or it could cost us everything. He was a fool. But can I count on him being fool enough to stay away? If I don’t play my cards right, I risk losing two of the things that I love the most in life.
...and she’s worth it. She just doesn’t know it...yet.
Excerpt
Chapter 1
Jagger
“Jagger! Jagger, now! Don’t stop!” She squeals through a pant, as I thrust into her, thanking Christ that I sent the rest of my office staff home hours ago. Tammy is bent over my oak desk, as I enter her from behind, so drunk on lust I almost forget about the fact that my brother Rush will be here in ten minutes. Tammy mewls as I empty myself into her, grateful for the long overdue release, and I slow, watching as she lays her head down on the lid of my closed laptop, and closes her eyes, breathless. “God, that was good, baby.” She says on exhale.
“Not bad at all.” I agree, pulling out of her, taking care of the condom.
She zips up her skirt and straightens her blouse. “Rush will be here in ten. Go fix your hair.” She says, turning to me, wiping a smear of her lipstick off my collarbone.
Hands through my hair, I walk over to the mirror next to my collection of diplomas hanging on the wall, and straighten my tie. “How’s that email blast coming along?”
“Good.” She swallows, as she ties her hair back up. “I’ll just get another pair of eyeballs on it and get it out first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Send it to me. I’ll look it over.”
Her guffaw is telling. “You’re meeting with your brother, the consultant, who is working towards accelerating Lawson Enterprises from a billion-dollar to a multi-billion-dollar company, in ten minutes, and yet you want to edit an email to staff? Talk about micro-managing, Jagger.”
“It’s not beneath me.”
I may come from a family of billionaires, but we all started from nothing.
“That’s why you hired me.” She argues kindly.
“Actually, I hired Gretchen for editing, and emailing, so that’s where you’re wrong. You are my personal assistant, and you should have delegated that email in the first place.”
After she fixes the chignon at the base of her neck, she rounds on me. “What are we talking about here, Jagger? I mean, you’re up to your ears in fucking work, that’s why your brother is coming, isn’t it? The last thing you need is to edit a fucking email, or to tell me how to run this office.”
“You don’t run this office. Stella, the office manager does. And in all the time that we’ve been arguing about it, that email would be done.”
With a huff and an eyeroll, she walks out of my office. Her attitude sucks but she’s a no-bullshit kind of person and she gets the job done. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that she has loose morals and the libido of a high school boy. She never makes it obvious that we’re fucking, either, and she has no interest in a relationship, so it’s a win-win for both of us. Five minutes later, there’s a tap on my door. “Yeah.” I call out, knowing that it’s Rush.
He walks in, carrying his briefcase. I swear to God that thing is an appendage. He never goes anywhere without it. Rush takes a seat without any eye contact and gets down to business, pulling his laptop out of the briefcase. “Halen’s gonna be coming by shortly with some leads.”
“Yeah? Good.” I mutter while opening my laptop. Tammy’s face print is still on it. Rush looks up at me as I wipe it off with a disinfectant wipe from the receptacle on my desk. “Ever feel like you’re drowning?” I ask rhetorically.
“You’re not drowning, Jagger. You’re moving to the next level, and aside from a lack of manpower, you’re well on your way.”
“It’s not just that. I’ve got one hell of a hurdle to get past, with the bid on the European markets.”
“It’s in the bag. You are the most sought-after engine manufacturer in the northern hemisphere. You’re the only one with a patent for the hybrid vehicles that doesn’t have all the environmental bullshit that the other ones do, and you know it. You’ve just got to get your fucking head out of the sand and focus. And the only way you’re going to do that without a hitch, is with the proper team in place. That’s your weak spot.”
“And you think you can fix that.”
“I identify your vulnerable areas and advise you on what to do to fix them, and Halen has the highest retention rate for hiring fit personnel in the business. That’s why you hired us, man. It was the smartest thing you did.”
We hear a knock at the door and Halen’s face appears. “Come on in, brother. Perfect timing.” I tell him.
He, too, has a briefcase in his hand. “Sorry I’m late. But it couldn’t be helped.”
A look of concern crosses over my face. “Is everything okay?”
Halen looks at Rush, like they have a mutual secret. Rush looks at him, but ultimately pays more attention to his laptop. “I didn’t want to say anything, and Rush told me to keep it under wraps until things calm down, but you’ll fucking kill me if you find out that I knew and didn’t tell you, regardless of my reasons.”
Rush rakes a hand through his hair and closes his laptop.
Fuck.
Halen clasps his hands together. “It was only through the grapevine until this morning that I’d heard.”
“Heard what?” I ask, sitting up higher in my chair.
“Kruger Manufacturing.” He says with a head tilt upward, as if saying the name of my competitor is explanation enough.
“What about them?” I ask, dividing my glance between both my brothers. I watch Rush scrape a hand down his face and I feel my stomach start to knot up.
“It seems that there’s been a divide in the company.” Rush offers.
“What kind of divide?”
Halen pulls up an article on his laptop and turns it so I can see it. “I know that you’ve been up to your balls in work, so you wouldn’t have noticed. But it’s my job to pay fucking attention, so here it is.”
I look at the article. I’m shocked but confused. “Shouldn’t this be good news? I mean, Kruger’s losing his right-hand woman. I don’t get it. Why should I fucking care, man?” I feel my stomach loosen a little, but it’s just a moment too soon, as I’ll find out more in the next five minutes.
“She leaves him he’s a loose cannon, for one.” Rush points out.
“So? Isn’t that good for me? I don’t get it. What’s the catch?”
My brothers once again exchange a look.
I’m growing frustrated. “Fucking out with it, guys. Quit fucking around. What’s the problem.”
Rush sighs. “It’ll divide your focus.”
“Why? Why the fuck should it divide my focus? I’m up to my fucking ears in work, I’m looking for like twenty new heads to help out around here, minimum, I’m bidding for the biggest opportunity that my business has had to date, so why the fuck should I care that Boston Kruger and Bowie Ritter are calling it quits?”
Rush shakes his head. “Only because Bowie was, and I quote, ‘the love of your fucking life’, and now she’s a free agent.”
I laugh out loud. “Maybe fifteen years ago, man, but not anymore. Hell, she signed her walking papers the second she went out with that douche bag back in high school. You guys are both off your rockers. I couldn’t give two shits about her anymore. As far as I’m concerned, Bowie can go hop in the sack with the goddamn CEO of the Ford Motor Company, and I wouldn’t give a shit.”
“Riiiiiight.” Rush says, unconvinced.
I give him a look like he just asked me how many balls I have in my shorts. “What the fuck is your problem, man? I haven’t even seen or spoken to Bowie in ten years, and the only reason why I spoke with her at the high school reunion is because her fucking boyfriend was too drunk to drive her home, the asshole.”
This is where Halen gets annoyed. “Please. You kept her fucking bra for five years after you porked her. You were so devastated that she chose Boston over you that you even turned down goddamn Stacey Milligan, the hottest chick in high school, for senior prom. Why the fuck she wanted to be seen with a pissant like you is beyond me, but whatever. You lost your chance with two of the sexiest girls in North Carolina, and you’ve been a mess ever since.”
A ‘v’ forms between my brows as I crane my neck backward. My voice is almost a squeak. “What is this? The fucking Sally Jesse Raphael show? Since when do you two dickwads care about my love life? And since when is any of this relevant? For all we know, this could be a fucking media ploy. You know as well as I do that Boston Kruger pulls out all the stops. That dude plays dirty. He and Bowie could be sitting in their airport-sized living room, sipping wine, clinking glasses to the beat of us idiots that are buying into the whole stupid story.”
“I doubt it, dude.” Rush guffaws, shaking his head.
“First of all, Boston isn’t smart enough to pull that shit off, even with the proper PR.” Halen points out. “I ran it past Stevie, and she agrees.”
Stevie is our sister. She owns a PR firm.
“So you know for a fact that this shit isn’t fake.” I check, half irritated, half pissed off. I hate it when I’m wrong.
“She’s still digging into the whole story, but so far everything checks out.” Halen confirms.
“Fuckoff.” I whine. “This stinks of Boston and his antics. You remember him in high school? Cheated on every fucking test, stole my fucking girlfriend, copied my goddamn assignments. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the asshole has some spy on my premises, poaching my bloody patents.”
“That’s why we’re hiring you a team of lawyers.” Rush states. “I’ve got two more on a retainer right now, as we speak.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t trust anyone.” I state, miffed.
“And that’s number three of four reasons why we’re concerned about you, Jagger.” Halen adds.
“What’s wrong with that? Hell, I’m not going to risk losing everything I’ve worked my ass off for, just for not keeping up with shit. That’s also why I have you guys. I’m aware that outside threats exist. I’m not stupid. But I think that you guys are way off base here. Look, I know Boston. We both learned from the same goddamn teachers, and we studied the same programs in almost the same fucking classes in college. If we’d gotten along better, we might have gone into business together, but since he ruined my fucking life, thanks to him, we’ve been enemies for as long as I can remember.”
“And you don’t think that if this story is true, which it is, that it’s going to affect this business?” Halen checks. “You don’t think that once the news spreads, that Boston is going to lose his shit? That he’s going to be out for blood?”
I shrug. “Why the fuck would that have anything to do with me?”
Rush speaks frankly. “Because Bowie was the brains behind that company. She kept that idiot in check. You remember the conference two years ago? When she didn’t show up and he got smashed out of his mind? Almost started a brawl with that dude from Ford?”
“Yeah, that’s where I benefit.” I point out. “If she’s left him, then it’s a win for me. But I don’t believe that she left him. She’s got too much at stake. They’ve been together since high school. He’s just as rich as me and she’s got more education than that dillhole has. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to let her walk.” Bowie went to an ivy league school after being offered an academic scholarship, while me and Boston attended the University of North Carolina and started getting our feet wet opening our separate businesses. Bowie didn’t come from money like we did, so she paired up with Boston, like everyone expected, and went into business with him, since he had the money, and she didn’t.
“I agree it would be messy. Depending on their agreement, she could take him for all that he’s worth, since she’s got just as much of a stake in that company as he does.” Halen volunteers.
“Yeah, but the asshole never put a ring on her finger, man.” I point out. “Who knows what sort of complication that causes.”
Rush scoffs, smirking. “With all your money and all this business and shit, do you see yourself ever tying the knot? Would you be stupid enough to do that?”
I look at him like he just asked if he could whizz in my Ficus. “Fuck no. I could never trust anyone that much, are you kidding? Plus, I’m married to this place, man. This comes first. Nothing else would ever come in the way of what I have.”
“Here here.” Rush taps my fist with his.
“That goes double for me.” Halen adds.
I change the subject matter slightly. “So, Stevie’s been sniffing around? Making sure that this whole thing isn’t a PR stunt?”
“At least within her realm of PR people, yes. She’s got contacts that her other contacts can report back to and that’s what she’s working on right now. But if Boston is as cunning as you think he is, who knows. I doubt that the dude is that smart to pull off losing his closest business partner as a gag. And what for, anyway?” Rush shrugs.
“To make me think that he’s vulnerable.” I lift my chin. “It’s the perfect alibi with this international deal looming. If word gets out that he’s weak then he thinks we’ll lay off a little. Sit back and let him put his foot in his own mouth.” I reason.
“But isn’t that a risk for the deal?” Halen asks. “I mean, if his CEO walked, won’t that make him look like a sitting duck?”
“Well, so far, the media in the states has been made aware.” Rush responds. “Nobody across the pond or elsewhere knows, according to Stevie.”
“It’s a small world, man.” I counter. “Word will get around.”
“But you don’t buy it.” Halen tests.
“I don’t.” I agree, resting my feet on the desk, sitting back. “And even if he was caught without a CEO, you don’t think that since Bowie’s female, that that’ll make him look more appealing across the pond? Those Europeans...not too hot on chicks pulling that much weight.”
“Yeah, and besides, think of the pool of fucking Kruger Manufacturing wannabees that’ll be coming up out of the woodwork. Hell, how much of a coveted spot is Bowie’s, hm? He’ll have that position filled in the blink of an eye.” Halen confers.
Tapping my fingers on the desk, I draw in a deep breath and release it. “So, what have you got for me, Rush? What’s behind door number one, two and three for me for recruitment?”
Again, Rush and Halen exchange a look. Halen looks at his watch. “Shit, I’ve got a dinner meeting at seven. Come by my place in the morning and we’ll talk it over.”
“What?” I almost squeak. “What the fuck did you come all the way over here for then?” I’m skeptical and feeling played, but in my heart of hearts, I know that my brother is a straight shooter. Nonetheless, I feel like there’s more to this story than they’re both letting on.
“Gotta go.” Halen says, rising abruptly from the leather guest chair that he was sitting on.
I know better than to press him, so I let him go, and resign myself to berate him tomorrow. When the door closes behind him, I look at Rush. “What the fuck is his problem.” I say as more of a statement than as a question.
Rush looks at me with conviction and I freeze in place. “You want my advice, little brother?”
After a sigh, I sit back in my chair, wondering what other good news I’m about to get today. “Hit me with it.”
“Forget about Bowie.”
“I did. Fifteen years ago.”
He looks me straight in the eye. “Don’t fuck with me, Jagger. I know you too well.”
“Fine.” I speak through gritted teeth.
Rush tucks his laptop into his bag and rises. He walks to the door. But before he leaves, he turns to me.
“And stop fucking your goddamn assistant.”
