Numbly, I stare at his back as he leaves.
Unable to move, I stand frozen for a long time. It’s only when I hear familiar voices that I raise my head to see Oliver, Caleb, and Lucas hurrying toward me. I don’t ask why they’re here.
Oliver takes me by the arm. “What’s wrong?”
I open my mouth, but then snap it shut in a stunned daze. How am I supposed to tell him all this? If I don’t do what Matt says, my family will be hurt. Despite how they’ve been using me as collateral, they’re still my family. My blood is filled with memories of us when we were younger, more innocent, the love we had shared, the affection.
Lucas steps forward, looking concerned. “Lana, what happened?”
I meet his gaze, another part of my past, my childhood. This time, I find the courage to speak. “Matt was here.”
Caleb’s expression doesn’t change, but Lucas’s eyes darken and Oliver’s hold on me tightens as he pulls me into him until my back is pressed against his chest.
“What?” His angry demand rumbles into my back. For some reason, I feel comforted by it. I look at Caleb, then rip apart my plans for the future I’d been so ignorantly working on. “I take back my resignation.”
“You resigned?” Oliver sounds stunned, and I sigh when Caleb just nods.
“L-let’s talk about this upstairs.”
Oliver guides me, and I suddenly feel unbearably fragile, my entire world crumbling. Once inside, he sits me down beside Lucas, then gets up to make me some tea. I keep glancing in his direction, not wanting him out of my sight for some reason. I’m not possessive, but, in this moment, I want to be able to see him. Because now I won’t be able to follow him when he leaves.
I never thought I would be able to fall in love or find a man who respects me, thrives in the success of my career, and makes me feel so special. And yet, this one just walked right into my life. And now when the time comes, I’ll have to let go of him
A hot cup of tea is forced into my hands. It’s Caleb who speaks now that I’m tucked against Oliver.
“Did he do something to you?”
I shake my head. The story rushes out of me, piece by piece. Lucas hadn’t been aware of how terrible things were at home for me so the shock on his face isn’t exactly a surprise. Caleb, however, had begun to have an inkling, but his face doesn’t give away his emotions. It’s only the way his jaw tightens that I can tell he’s angry.
“I don’t see why you have to get involved at all,” Caleb says finally. “Your family clearly doesn’t hold you in any regard. Why help them?”
I know he’s right. Logically thinking, I can follow his reasoning, but my heart fights against it, reminding me of the time when Fred would carry me on his back home after school because I would be too tired or the way he got into a fight with the school bully who kept picking on me and got beat up.
My heart aches as it tries to understand how things escalated from there to here, but the love inside my heart for them is stronger than the pain and the anger, so I just put down the tea and rub my hands over my face, feeling so tired. “I can’t abandon them, but I’m not putting myself in that asshole’s hands.”
Oliver picks up the tea and forces it into my hands, saying darkly, “I’d like to see you try.”
The blatant possessiveness in his tone shouldn’t make me feel better, but it does. I lean against him, feeling his hands tugging at my hair gently. “I’m not, but I’m going to have to take out a few loans from the bank. I’ll also have to borrow some money from you, Caleb.”
Caleb and I have been through a lot together. We took the same night classes, and I used to help him. I assisted him in his classes, his studies. I’ve seen him struggle, and I have stood by him as he became the tycoon he is today. Lucas and I had pulled every string we had to make him reach success. So, I know he won’t turn me down, and I don’t feel ashamed to borrow from him. However, Oliver stiffens at that, his voice sounding annoyed. “Why do you have to borrow from him? Take it from me.”
Caleb smirks, not letting me answer. “It must burn you to know she asked me.”
Oliver growls, and I can see Caleb is enjoying this a little too much. I try to pacify my clearly upset lover. “It wouldn’t be right for me to take money from you. Besides, Caleb doesn’t mind, do you?”
I narrow my eyes at my friend, who just raises his brow, amused. “Of course not.”
My shoulders droop, feeling like a burden has been taken off my shoulders. “See?”
Oliver doesn’t see, but he doesn’t say anything, either. Instead, he glances at me. “How are you going to go about this?”
I clasp my hands around the cup in my hands. “I’ll have to talk to my family first. I’ll tell them I’ll pay off their debts, find out why they’ve been taking so much in the first place, then get the exact amount from them. I’ll go tomorrow to sort things out with my bank.” I gesture at Caleb. “Can you look into this person? I know Lucas did some brief digging into him, but I don’t think my family will tell me too much. I want to know everything about him—his businesses, his strengths and weaknesses, his family situation.” Anger enters my tone. “I want to crush him.”
It sounds harsh, but there is this festering fury inside me that demands blood. I haven’t crawled my way up to the top by being a passive person. I’ve fought against all odds, stuck by my principles, and received the acknowledgement of people in higher-up positions. I’ve become somebody. I’m one of the most sought-after HR reps in the business, and it is after years I can finally say it with pride.
I’m not going to let some rich daddy’s boy drag me down and attempt to reduce me to my gender alone. The very fact he tried to is enough to let my petty side show through. After all, there’s a reason why Caleb and I are still friends.
* * *
Seeing Fred’s banged-up face through the viewing mirror, I have to purse my lips as a wave of fury moves through me.
Matt had lied.
This is way beyond breaking his arm.
My brother is lying on the hospital bed, his face swollen and bruised. I have the urge to make the man behind this horrible act bleed. However, I don’t show any of my upset. My father is also in the room, and I push the door open.
Both look up. I see shock and a glimmer of guilt in their eyes.
Good. So they know what they’re trying to do is wrong.
Boo-fucking-hoo.
Fred is the first one to break the silence, his tone bitter. “Lana, what are you—”
“Your ‘friend’ stalked me home,” I say, deliberately choosing to be crude. “He asked me to apologize by sucking his dick.”
Both men stiffen, but neither says anything and my heart hardens.
I don’t take a seat, just watch them. “How much money do you owe him?”
Fred’s eyes widen, and it’s obvious he hadn’t expected I would know about the debt situation. His face pales, and he stammers. “L-Lana—”
“Save it,” I say curtly. When my dad opens his mouth, I repeat my words. “Same goes for you, Dad. Did either of you know that Matt likes to rough up his women? That he likes to hurt them before passing them around?”
My dad’s face pales, and Fred freezes. I scoff, disgusted. “It didn’t take me long to find out. But it did make me wonder if you would have still used me as collateral had you known? I think you would have. Because, at some point, I stopped being your sister or your daughter. Instead, I became a thing to be used.”
“Lana, that’s not true.” My dad tries to stand but fails, his face filled with horror.
Keeping my emotions contained, I let them batter me bloody inside, but I force my voice to remain calm. “I’m not here to fight. I have no interest in that. Just tell me what you owe, and I’ll clear your debts.”
My father gapes. “W-what?”
“What do you owe?” I enunciate each word. Fred blinks, looking at me as if I’ve gone crazy. “Lana, you can’t pay all that much.”
My lips curve in a hu
morless smile. “If I can pay it with my body, I can pay it off in cash.”
My statement is nonsensical, but it gets its intended effect across. Both my brother and my father have the decency to look ashamed.
Fred, however, recovers himself quicker than my father. He blusters, “Don’t be ridiculous. If we can’t collect that much—”
“I’m glad neither of you are denying you intended to use me to pay off your debts,” I cut him off coldly. “This will make this entire thing easier on me.”
When they flinch, I take a step closer, my tone cutting. “While you were trying to think of ways you could utilize me to pay off loans you took out, I made something of myself. I have connections, friends who are willing to back me up, banks who are willing to lend to me at the lowest rates, and savings. You’ve spent half my life looking down on me because I’m a girl. Now, I’m the one who’ll be saving your sorry asses from this mountain of debt. But, once this is over, I’ll be cutting all contact with you. I’m done.”
My father’s voice is hoarse. “Lana, don’t do this.”
I ignore his broken plea, stomping on my heart, which stutters at his weak voice.
“How much do you owe?” I repeat coldly.
“Lana.”
I glare at Fred, pretending not to hear my father. “Don’t waste my time, Fred. I’ve got to make arrangements. How much do you owe?”
Fred’s face is white as he whispers an amount that makes my heart sink. I’ll be spending my entire life repaying this. But I maintain my stoic façade, not letting anything through that could be used as ammunition against me. These people in front of me don’t deserve to be called my family. Not after what they’ve tried to do to me.
“I’ll let you know when the complete amount is repaid with interest.”
Before coming here, I had planned to ask them why—why they had taken out such substantial amounts over the course of these past ten years—but I can feel my composure cracking. I need to get out of there.
I tuck my purse securely under my arm. “That’s all I came here for, so I’ll be leaving now. Don’t contact me, any of you.”
I walk out, hearing my father’s desperately cry out my name. In that moment, I want nothing more than to go to him and wipe the tears from his eyes, tears I had seen just now. But I don’t trust my heart any more than I trust them.
So, I stumble out, managing to keep my emotions in check until I enter my car. It’s raining outside when I exit the building, the heavens echoing my rage and grief. I’ve conveniently forgotten my umbrella and I enter my car, drenched and shivering. After I turn the heater on full blast, I rest my head against the steering wheel, letting my bitter tears flow. Gripping the steering wheel, I flex my hands, trying to will myself to stop crying. But I fail miserably.
It wasn’t supposed to be this hard.
Walking away was supposed to be easy after everything they’ve put me through. So, why does it feel like my heart is shattering into a thousand pieces?
Someone taps on the window of the passenger seat. Startled, I raise my head.
I see the familiar trench coat, an umbrella, and the face of the man who has started to mean the world to me. I press the unlock button to let Oliver in.
“What are you doing here?” I sniff, wiping at my eyes and spreading my mascara.
He puts his umbrella in the back, then whips out a clean handkerchief—the man seems to have an unlimited supply—and leans forward to clean my cheeks. His hands carefully wipe away the remnants of my mascara. I let him, not knowing anyone else who would do so for me.
His voice is calm. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t be doing so well right now. Thought you might need a friend.”
I grasp his wrist, looking into his eyes, utterly devastated by the events of today. “Are we friends?”
“Friends, lovers, colleagues, we’re all of that.” He unshackles my hold on him, then presses a kiss to my palm, destroying me with his gentleness. “We’re everything you want us to be.”
His words reach inside me to soothe me in a way only he can. I lean my head against my chest, admitting, “This day sucks.”
“It does, indeed.” He strokes my head, but there’s a trace of a frown in his voice. “Why are you soaked?”
“Forgot my umbrella,” I mutter. I pull away from him. “Did you drive here?”
“Taxi.” His lips curve. “I thought I could tempt you into giving me a ride to the office.”
“I can drop you, but I have to go straight to the bank afterward.” I start the car, then tell him about the scene at the hospital. Oliver stays silent throughout. After a moment, he says, “Before going to the bank, you should perhaps talk to Caleb. He might have the money.”
I hesitate before agreeing.
We part ways at the office, and I make my way to Caleb’s downtown office. He doesn’t seem surprised to see me, even offers me a beverage, which is something he’s never done.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I demand, sipping at the orange drink he just so happened to have in his mini fridge.
“Lucas said you’d start crying if I wasn’t nice,” he says dryly. “I don’t want you weeping in my office. I have a no-crying policy in here.”
I stare at him. “I’m starting to see why you’re so unpopular with the ladies.”
“I’m not interested in those women anyway.” Caleb doesn’t seem bothered. “How did it go with the family?”
As I tell him, he watches me silently. Once I’m done, he says, “It’s not a small amount, I’ll give you that. But it’s manageable. You won’t have to go to a bank.”
I tense up. “But won’t that affect your—”
“It won’t,” he replies easily. “Give me ten days to transfer the amount to you.”
I swallow, feeling like a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders. “How will I pay you back?”
Now, he grins. It’s the smile I’ve seen on him when he’s about to get something out of his opponent. “Well, you can pay me back by using half your salary every month or…”
“Or…” I echo, narrowing my eyes.
He grins suddenly. “Well, it’s not much. But after you resigned, I realized I can’t have you getting up and leaving whenever you please. So, if you sign a ten-year contract with the firm and a further ten-year one that you work for me alone and can’t quit, I’ll consider the entire debt cleared.”
I gape. “What?”
He shrugs. “You won’t have to pay back anything. Just tie yourself to me and the company for the next twenty years.” He pushes a document toward me. “All you have to do is sign here.”
“Why do you already have a contract prepared?” I ask faintly, staring at the paper.
He smirks.
“Caleb…” I try not to sound like I’m panicking. “Can I at least think about it?”
He frowns. “What’s there to think about?”
I purse my lips. “Aside from being offered a slave contract, nothing much.”
He pushes the document toward me, urging. “Fine. Take this home with you. Think it over. Take a few days. I want an answer by next Monday.”
I pick up the contract with hesitant fingers. “Did Lucas help you with this?”
His lips curve.
15
Oliver
I stare at the screen, not registering the words on it, my mind on Lana.
I wonder what she’s doing right now, whether she’s holed up in her office, restructuring the SOPs I handed off to her this week. It’s been two days since she confronted her family. She’s been acting like she normally does, but sometimes when she thinks I’m not paying attention, there’s a strain on her face, a lost look in her eyes. In those moments, I want nothing more than to hold her to me and soothe away all her troubles.
With Nyla, it hadn’t been this way. Nyla had been someone delicate who looked like she deserved to be pampered, so I did. I had loved her and cherished because that was the role she seemed to have been born for,
a beautiful ornament. I don’t once remember raising my voice at her or fighting with her.
With Lana, it’s different. We fight, we argue, and we’re both stubborn to a fault. She hides her weaknesses, not wanting anyone to see her vulnerability. The walls around her are hard to tear down, but the more she resists, the more determined I get to clamber over them. The day Caleb texted me was the first time I saw her so broken, with no barriers. I saw the fragile woman underneath, and I fell even more impossibly in love with her.
I adore her professionalism, admire her ambition, and love her prickly attitude. It’s only when she’s in my hands that she unfurls like a severely displeased kitten, who is only allowing me to handle her. It’s delightful seeing her open up to me, even warily. Which is why her trust is something I can never break.
It’s also why she can never find out what I’ve done. Well, not until I have my ring on her finger and she’s completely in love with me. What I felt for Nyla pales in comparison to what I feel for Lana. Nyla was like water that slipped through my fingers, never truly mine. Lana is fire and heat, wearing her emotions on her sleeve, ready to face the world with a determination that is unique to her.
I can’t let her leave me. Once this particular assignment is over, I have no intention of moving back home. I’ve always wanted to set up a consultancy firm for corporate damage repair. Why not avail that opportunity here? I will be near the woman I love, and she won’t have to lose her home and her friends.
A sound from my laptop makes me glance up.
It’s an email I’ve been waiting for.
While Caleb may have his own sources to dig up information, I’m owed enough favors by people in top positions who can find out who this man is who has his sights set on my woman.
Matt Richards.
He’s from one of the wealthier families on this side of the country. Born into money, but he acts more like a loan shark than anything. Went to a prestigious private school. Graduated with honors.
Waste of education in my opinion.
Resisting the Brit Page 14
