by Linzi Baxter
“Jacob, are you going to make a speech tonight?” Kaylene asked. She took another sip of her champagne. When we all got in the car, Sasha had popped the champagne and poured everyone a glass. Lily hadn’t taken a sip of the bubbly yet. I wasn’t sure if she drank or not.
“No,” Jared grumbled. “I’m here to make sure the event goes off without a hitch. I also planned to make sure Eric knows Rachele is no longer part of our family.”
The sound of my ex-wife’s name put a damper on my mood. If she hadn’t put so much work into the gala, I would’ve made sure security stopped her at the door. Over the years, she had worked hard on the charity, but I think she did it more for the fame than anything. “I talked with Eric earlier today, and he knows. Just admit you’re here because you love this charity.”
Jared shifted in his seat. “I enjoy playing basketball with the kids and watching them go into loving homes. The only reason I show up to this event is to make sure we continue to get the big donors. I want to have a face-to-face with Eric to make sure he understands that after today, Rachele is no longer part of the charity. I noticed the way they’ve looked at each other. I don’t trust him completely.”
Kaylene pushed Jared’s shoulder. “You don’t trust anyone.”
“I trust my brothers and you.”
“Okay, you trust four people in the world. My point is proven. Don’t be an ass and cause a scene today. We all might not like Rachele, but she put together this gala. Next year, we are going to have to hire someone to do this. And don’t look at me like that, Jared. I don’t have time to plan an event like this. Rachele doesn’t work. She has all the time in the world.”
“She’s going to have to work now,” Sasha mumbled under her breath.
Lily looked from Sasha to me. “Rachele, your wife?”
I reached over and placed my hand on hers and felt another jolt of awareness when we touched hands. “Ex-wife.” The divorce papers had arrived the day after I got the electronic copy.
The door to the limousine opened to reveal a red carpet leading to the historic Cipriani on 42nd Street. The foundation held the gala there each year, and it had sold out for the past five years, even at five thousand dollars a ticket. Every penny raised went into the foundation. The gala, food, wine, and anything else needed was funded by my brothers and I.
My leather shoes sank into the soft red carpet. I reached back into the car and held out my hand. Lily grabbed it, and I helped her get out. She was breathtaking.
When we’d arrived in New York, Jared and I went to our business meeting. I had scheduled the spa for Lily, Sasha, and Kaylene. Jared hadn’t been too happy to find out that Kaylene wasn’t going to be at the meeting to help him. I wondered some days how he got dressed without her.
I’d called my friend whose wife was an up-and-coming designer in NYC to ask if she had a dress Lily could wear to the event. One day when Lily turned to leave my office, I snapped a picture of her and sent it to the designer. The dress she chose was stunning, a teal number paired with a diamond necklace. Her blonde hair had been piled on top of her head, with a few ringlets framing her exquisite face and her makeup wasn’t overdone, the artist who did it left her looking natural. Kaylene and Sasha were also given designer gowns, but Kaylene in red, and Sasha in white, didn’t compare to Lily. The surrounding crowd buzzed. I could hear the snapping of the cameras as people walked down the red carpet.
“You didn’t say anything about a red carpet,” Lily whispered in my ear. I rested my hand on the small of her back.
Sasha popped out of the limousine. I had asked her to come along because I knew it would make Lily happy. “Red carpets are the fun part, Lily. And once we get inside, it’s free drinks and free food.”
Jared helped Kaylene out of the car then turned to Sasha. “You’d better not get arrested. I’m not bailing your ass out. You need to be at work on Monday to finish up your project.”
Sasha turned to Jared and saluted him. “Aye aye, captain,” she said. Sasha was on a mission to have fun. She worked the red carpet with every step, posing for the cameras and answering questions about what designer she was wearing.
Kaylene and Jared walked in front of us. I rested my fingers on Lily’s lower back and leaned down to speak into her ear. “You have nothing to worry about. You’re breathtaking.”
Lily stopped a few feet before the row of photographers began. “What happens if my picture is put on TV or in a magazine? Greg may come after you then.” Lily worried about everybody but herself, and I knew she was worried Greg would come after Tommy, Kat, or even me. Not once had I heard her worry about him coming after her. “Lily, I can take care of myself. Don’t worry about anything.” Her blue eyes darted to the cameras and back to me, and I could almost see the wheels turning in her brain, but she finally agreed to go.
We walked a few feet and stopped for our picture. After a few clicks, I pressed my hand harder into Lily’s lower back to get her to walk the rest of the way. Reporters called out questions left and right, I even heard one ask if this was the woman I left Rachele for. I ignored the question and continued to walk. Lily tensed when someone asked if I was dating the woman on my arm.
Once we made it inside, I spotted Jared and Kaylene across the room at the bar. Every time I entered the Cipriani, I was blown away with its beauty. Tall archways lined the room, five on each side, with a large arch with a window in the front of the room. Rachele had done a great job decorating the place—she knew how to throw a party. The tables were dressed in white linens and huge red rose centerpieces. Lily and I made our way toward the bar. Jared and Kaylene seemed to be in a deep conversation—it had been three years, and I still hadn’t been able to figure out their relationship. Kaylene kept shaking her head, and Jared leaned back and crossed his arms. When we were within earshot, they stopped talking. “Is everything okay?” I asked.
Kaylene huffed. “Your brother’s just being annoying, like always.”
“One of these days, I’m going to fire you for sassing me all the time.”
“No, you won’t. You’d be lost without me.” Kaylene grabbed Lily’s hand. “Come on, let’s go find the ladies room.” I watched as the two walked away from us, Lily’s perky ass swaying in her teal dress. The back of the dress was open, and my dick became uncomfortably hard. I shifted so my pants were more comfortable.
“You just finalized your divorce. You really think it’s time to start dating already?”
“I’m thirty years old, Jared. I think I can decide if I want to date someone or not. And you know as well as I do that I was only married to Rachele so we could get that money all those years ago. I’ve never even slept with her.”
Jared ran his hand through his hair. “I know it’s not my place to say anything. I just worry about you, brother. You just got out of a bad relationship, and she has a son.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “Are you really saying she’s not good enough for me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
He didn’t need to speak the words—I could read it on his face. Sometimes, I thought my brother forgot where we came from and the struggles we’d endured before we made it. “Stay out of my personal life, Jared.” I grabbed a glass of scotch on the bar and downed it, feeling the burn of the expensive liquid. I turned and walked the way I’d seen Lily and Kaylene head a couple minutes before.
The sound of shattering glass echoed over the music, and I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that it had to do with Rachele. I heard her voice screech, followed by what sounded like Sasha calling someone a bitch. I pushed people out of my way. The need to make sure Lily was okay was at the forefront of my brain.
When I finally pushed the last person to the side, Lily stood with red wine running down her dress. Rachele had a broken glass in her hand. Kaylene had her hands on her hips and was giving Rachele the evil eye.
“You’re the reason he left me,” Rachele screamed at Lily.
Lily looked from Rachele to me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Who are you?”
I walked over and pulled Lily into my arms. I could feel her body shaking, but she pushed me away. Rachele screeched again. I didn’t know how I’d put up with talking to her over the years, given that her voice ground my last nerve every time she spoke. “Do you really want to have this conversation in front of everybody, Rachele?”
Lily tried to tug her hand away from mine, but I gripped her hand harder. A crowd started to form around us. “Why don’t you all go enjoy the free bar?” I said. “There’s nothing else to see here.” When only a few people looked like they were going to leave, Jared started ushering everybody away.
Rachele still stood in front of us, staring daggers at Lily. “I could’ve dyed my hair blonde too, Jacob.”
I pinched my brow. “Rachele, we’re divorced. Hell, we never even had a real relationship, so I don’t even know where this is coming from. Apologize for wrecking Lily’s night.”
Music played in the background, and people started dancing around us. Instead of getting to wrap my arms around Lily and waltz across the dance floor, I was stuck talking to my ex-wife. She had ruined Lily’s dress and our night.
“Jacob, I thought we were going to try to make things work,” Rachele said.
Sasha stepped forward and rolled her eyes. “Lady, you are acting desperate.”
Rachele raised her hand with the glass and threw it toward Sasha. Lily jumped between Sasha and Rachele, and Rachele’s glass broke against Lily’s arm. Blood started to trickle down the side of Lily’s hand. I waved for security before rushing Lily to the bathroom to clean her up and turned to Sasha. “Make sure they escort her out of this building.”
Rachele had tears running down her face—she wasn’t going to do anything else. But I had no plan to let her stay.
“Jacob…” is all I heard Rachele say before I led Lily toward the bathroom.
Lily tried to pull out of my grasp. “That lady is crazy,” she mumbled next to me.
The crowd of people parted as we pushed our way through. Our night was ruined. Instead of enjoying the event, we were going to have to leave early. “I’m sorry she did that. I’ll make sure she pays for what she did.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been divorced?”
I didn’t answer right away. Lily stopped and turned toward me. “How long?” she asked again with her hands on her hips.
“Two days.”
“Men,” Lily said before she turned and stalked toward the bathroom, I had to job to catch up. She opened the women’s room and slammed the door before I could get in.
I banged on the door. “Let me in, Lily.”
She didn’t answer. A lady and her husband walked by and gave me a questionable look. Kaylene had appeared next to me.
“She won’t let me in.”
“Do you blame her? Your crazy ex first threw her wine, then threw the glass at her and made a scene in front of everyone. When we were in the car and Rachele was mentioned, you should’ve told her more. You know how crazy Rachele can be. Now let me check on Lily.”
Kaylene reached up and knocked on the door. “Lily, it’s Kaylene. I’ll make sure Jacob doesn’t come in if you unlock the door.”
I heard the click of the door and tried to push in, but Kaylene rested her hand against my chest. “Give me time with her. I know about your relationship, but most people from the outside world don’t.”
I nodded as she closed the door.
Jared walked up next to me. “She’s been escorted out of the building. Do you want me to call the cops so you can make a report?”
“No.” I leaned against the wall next to the bathroom.
Sasha walked up with a tray of drinks. “Want one?”
I grabbed one off the tray. The amber liquid tasted good.
Sasha knocked on the bathroom door. “Let me in. I have alcohol.” The door slowly creaked open, and Sasha went in then slammed the door in my face again.
“Come on, let's go talk some people into giving us money,” Jared said. “The girls will take care of her.”
I looked at the bathroom one more time before I let Jared lead me away.
7
Lily
The night was still young, but Kaylene and Sasha both wanted to leave with me after Jacob’s ex-wife went batshit crazy. I didn’t even see it coming. Kaylene and I were heading back to the bar when she pushed a waitress out of the way to get to me. The poor girl's tray of glasses shattered.
I’d gone to help the girl Rachele had shoved when she grabbed my arm and yanked me back. “You stole him. He left me because of you.”
“What are you talking about?”
Rachele threw wine at me and screamed, “You stole my husband!”
I didn’t think we were there on a date, and I probably shouldn’t have walked the red carpet with him, even though he was technically divorced. Sasha and Kaylene tried to explain that they’d never seen them together unless it was at a charity event. It didn’t matter though, I was humiliated in a room full of important people before I’d even had a sip of wine.
After I’d emerged from the bathroom, Jacob and I headed back to the hotel. We were all staying in the penthouse suite at the Mark. When we got back, I’d showered and changed into a pair of yoga pants and a white T-shirt.
Jacob sat down in an outdoor chair next to me. The view from the rooftop deck was amazing—I could see Central Park. The sound of the city buzzed around us. It was past eleven o’clock, but the city continued to stay active. “I’m sorry she wrecked your evening,” he said in a quiet voice.
My jaw clenched. Yes, Rachele had wrecked my evening, but Jacob had brought another woman to an event he knew she would be at. “It’s not all her fault. You should’ve told her you brought your assistant. Then she would’ve known I wasn’t your date.”
“You were my date,” Jacob said. He handed me a glass of wine.
I took a sip, my first of the evening. I’d wanted to drink the champagne in the limousine, but I also wanted to be on my A-game when we got to the gala. It was the first time I’d ever dressed to the nines like that. I shook my head. “How can you possibly expect a different outcome? I thought you were better than that.”
Jacob had taken off his tux and changed into a pair of basketball shorts that hung low on his hips and a black T-shirt. No matter how mad I was at him, he was still as sexy as hell, and that made me even angrier at the situation.
“Do you know much about my brothers or me?”
I’d spent a few hours Googling the family when Kat told me who I was going to work for. There wasn’t much about their personal lives, mostly just articles on the work their company had done and the state-of-the-art technology they created for the NSA. “I Googled the company.”
Jacob’s lip twitched. “You Googled me.”
I took a sip of wine. “Put your peacock feathers back down. I Googled you so I didn’t look dumb on my first day. I’m still mad at you for putting me in that situation tonight. You could’ve told me to be on the lookout for a crazy woman.” I didn’t add that I’d gone down the rabbit hole of looking at photos of him and his brothers. They were all good-looking, but Jacob was sexy as hell.
“Did you find anything in your search about how we grew up in foster care when our mother died after deciding drugs were more important than her children? Jared came home to find her dead on the couch with a needle hanging from her arm. We were all put into the system, and when Jared was old enough to adopt us, we lived in a one-bedroom apartment. Jared would work during the day and go to school at night. Jax and I helped as much as we could after school. Jared made sure we got good grades so we could get into college.”
“Wow.”
“Yes, my older brother is amazing. But that’s not why I’m telling you this story. My last year of college, Jax and Jared came up with a great satellite concept. We knew we could do good for ourselves, but we needed start-up cash.”
I took a
sip of my wine. I knew the story of how Rachele fit into his life was about to come up. “How did you get the cash?”
“Not many people know the story. Rachele came from a wealthy family. We were friends in college, but we never dated or slept together. She needed a husband so she could get her inheritance of fifty million dollars.”
I choked on my wine. Jacob reached over and patted my back then continued. “I talked my idea out with my brothers, but neither of them wanted me to marry her. I didn’t listen. Rachele and I sat down and made an agreement. Her inheritance required her to be married for one year. On our one-year anniversary, she would receive her full fifty million dollars. She agreed to pay me five million, and we would pay her back with interest. Everything was in writing, and we both agreed.”
“You agreed to this without dating.”
He let out a sigh. “The marriage was on paper only.”
I stood up and looked over the rail, taking in the city and the cars racing through the streets of New York. I could see a few people walking through Central Park. A few of the photos online had shown Jacob getting married there. Rachele’s dress had been breathtaking. “If this was on paper only, why such a big wedding?”
Jacob stood next to me. “So, you did Google me?”
I pushed his arm.
“She wanted the fairy-tale wedding, and her parents gave it to her. We never lived together, but when she needed someone for an event, I would show up and go to my separate hotel room. We both planned to divorce when we had the money. But the first year of starting NSS, we were busy and divorce wasn’t on my mind. The three of us worked night and day to get the company off the ground.”
“Your company is highly regarded. Every employee I talked to loves to work for you guys. Well, a few are scared of Jared.” I chuckled quietly.
