Chapter 43
Dexter
Business doesn’t stop just because I’ve got a bone to pick with my dumbass brother and the deal with Haute now hinges on a pretty redhead with another large investment on her finger.
I drive across town to another Kansas City rental–Parisian Oasis–one of our acquisitions last year. It’s a beautiful condo that’s about to welcome its first guests after extensive renovations.
Archer wants all of us there at the opening for PR. Something about that personal family touch going a long way in a city where the Rory name still carries weight.
He’s probably right.
Regardless, I’m busy planning Patton’s funeral.
My hands tighten on the steering wheel as I grind my teeth. He knew.
He fucking knew exactly what he was doing when he blabbed about Junie to Mom, and he knew I’d be the one picking up the pieces with another meeting between my mother and my not fiancée. All because he knew Mom would take Archer’s side in that scuffle.
She usually does.
Thanks to his bullshit, my own mother is one more person we need to deceive.
Which is why I bought the damn ring and spent more than I ever fathomed on a piece of jewelry.
Junie’s face flashes in my mind while I stop at a red light.
The way those big green eyes blew up when she saw the box.
The vulnerability lurking in the tight press of her mouth.
The frantic way she laughed and then looked at me like I hung the stars in the sky when I did my little mock proposal.
She likes the ring, sure, but that wasn’t the whole story.
Deep down, she must hate the fact that I’m the jackass who gave it to her.
Does she seriously think I’m the only one who’s ever going to give her a ring?
She’s young and gorgeous and full of life, sunshine on a stick. I’m not the only one who notices.
Hell, if she took a little time off and let people in- I huff a sigh and force my attention back to today. Junie’s love life isn’t my problem.
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She accepted the ring, I made her laugh, and she knows the full extent of the deal. When we’re done, she can sell it for a solid boost to her savings and I’ll be a distant memory.
That shouldn’t make my blood storm.
Even if the look on her face when I presented the ring made me feel like the biggest bastard this side of the Missouri River.
Goddammit, I need to focus.
Work.
The condo is a sleek and desirable addition to downtown Kansas City. Although upscale, they’re a great option for folks on a tighter budget who still want some pampering, a traveling couple or a lone business wolf who wants more than a basic hotel.
At least, that’s how we’re selling them.
Affordable luxury. Awesome amenities. Impeccable location.
Of course, we’re talking elite affordability, with all the perks they ought to expect from an outfit like Higher Ends.
Before, it didn’t bother me, but after seeing Junie’s apartment, the whole idea stings a bit.
It’s just business, sure, but we’re the rich feeding our peers while ordinary people like her get left behind in crappy apartments that aren’t even climate controlled.
Sad places with the peeling paint and the water stains creeping down the walls and the perpetually broken elevator. The place seems like a disaster waiting to happen, and we’re over here spinning high–end properties she might never step foot in unless she sells a lot more cakes.
I shake my head to clear it as I step through the door.
Archer’s already there, going over the last–minute preparations. We’ve invited the usual load of local bigwigs from real estate and travel to the opening presentation, and the press is coming out our ears.
Tables overflow with buffet food, brought in from the best catering company in the district. Plus, a generous sampling of Junie’s cupcakes and turnovers with a stack of her business cards next to them.
“Hey,” Archer says when he sees me. “James just told me there’s an electrical problem in the model unit.”
For fuck’s sake.
“What problem?” I snap, grabbing a skewer of olives and cheese. “I thought he inspected the place and did a final walkthrough last week? The man never misses.”
We pay through the nose for the best contractors and it’s worth every penny.
“Exactly. He made the call and he’s not wrong after seeing how the lights were flickering. The wiring’s fucked in the kitchen. Those backlit cabinets Patton insisted on are the culprit. He shut the breakers off.”
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“How bad is the repair?”
“Simple adjustment, he says, but it’ll take some time,” he says, pulling out his phone and bringing up a floor plan to show me. “We’ll need to rip out the plastering to get to the wiring.”
“Fuck.”
“Yep.”
I rub my head. Half the guests are already here, and Patton’s late as usual. “When can they start?”
“I have our usual guys coming and an electrician on standby. They can start in thirty minutes. Patton wanted to go ahead with it anyway and I shut that shit down,” he says.
Yeah, fuck Patton.
“We can’t show off the model in that condition,” I agree. “We don’t want anyone else to know there’s been a problem, either.”
“What if the work doesn’t get finished in time?” he asks.
“The crew knows we’ll pay whatever it takes to get this done fast. Whatever it takes to polish our reputation. Until it’s fixed, I say we keep people here.”
“Right.” Archer scowls at his phone. “It’s a certified fucking nightmare.”
He doesn’t have to tell me.
The repair could also blow our opening budget slightly, but that isn’t my screwup.
Speaking of screwups, Patton swaggers up to us just then, swiping one of those god–awful custard cupcakes on his
way.
“Should’ve known you’d be over here looking like the world just ended,” he says, stuffing a big bite into his mouth “Ever heard of turning on the charm?”
“Fuck off, Patton,” I say.
He grins at me. “What happened to your party face, huh? I thought this was reason to celebrate.”
“Don’t talk to me.”
“Aw, hell. You’re still sore because I told Mom about the wedding?” He shoves the rest of the cupcake in his mouth and chews loudly. “Don’t tell me you’re holding a grudge over that.”
“I swear to God, Pat, I will chop you up and feed you to your squids.”
“They’re cuttlefish, dear brother. And murder, all over a girl you’re not really with? Didn’t think you’d be the jealous, overprotective type, Dex. Damn, she must’ve made quite the impression.” He shrugs and licks his fingers officially turning my stomach.
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Love Betrayed A Journey
Chapter 43
“I said don’t talk to me.”
“To be fair, I made you step up your game,” he says. “Mom bought it, so now you have to shore up your little wife lie. Everyone comes out of this a winner.”
I grit my teeth. “Dragging Mom into it wasn’t part of the deal, jackass.
I’m blaming you when it’s over and she has her heart smashed up over it.” “I know, I know. Fuck. You wanted to keep this whole thing quiet, but
do you think Haute’s really going to buy that if our own family doesn’t know?” His grin has never looked more punchable. “Look, Bro, she’ll get over it.”
I don’t want her to get over it.
I especially don’t want to involve Junie in any family drama more than strictly necessary, but that ship has sailed. And knowing my luck, it’s about to catch fire and capsize.
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