The Terms Duet

by Rowe, Ruby

  “Now, son, I had good reason.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that. What is it?”

  “Your grandfather Orson left a trust for you that wasn’t connected to the will. You’ll receive seventy-five million dollars when you’re thirty-five, but only if you’re married to Whitney.”

  “Damn, that’s a lot of money. A ton of money.” I narrow my eyes on him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Your mother thought it’d be too upsetting for you to know Orson pulled a stunt like this, especially once you found out Lawrence got his inheritance when your grandfather died.”

  I begin to pace the floor. “Let me guess. He put conditions on mine because I didn’t join Gant-Peterson, and you’ve been pressuring me to marry Whitney so I’ll inherit the money.”

  “Yes, but also so I’ll inherit money. As added insurance that you’d go through with the wedding, he set up a trust for me in the same amount, but I don’t get my share, either, unless you marry Whitney.”

  “Seventy-five million dollars. Fuck, that’s so much money.”

  “But you have millions of dollars, and you can make more. You’re great at what you do,” Ellis says.

  I look at my father with disgust. “If this decision wasn’t fucking hard enough, you just made it seventy-five million times harder.”

  Unable to breathe, I rip off my tie.

  “Son, I’ll make a deal with you. Marry the Peterson girl. If after you get the money, you’re still not in love with her, then I’ll accept you getting a divorce. Just don’t tell the Petersons I said that because I’ll deny every word.”

  “Do you hear yourself?” I ask. “Do you even care if I’m happy like you and Mom?”

  “You can divorce her in about five years. I don’t think that’s too long of a marriage for this kind of payout. Find some pussy on the side until then. After the divorce, you can marry for love.”

  Ellis rubs his forehead. “I can’t believe the respect I’ve held for you all these years.”

  “Oh, don’t give me that horseshit. If you hadn’t fallen in love with Camilla, you’d be telling him to take the money, too.”

  “You’re probably right. I can admit that, but now I see what’s important, and that’s partly because I have a son. I’d never expect him to make this choice, and you shouldn’t expect it from Greyson, either. You’re a billionaire, for christ’s sake. How greedy is this family?”

  Ellis clutches his hips. “I can’t stay here and pretend this engagement’s OK when I have Camilla at home holding Sasha together. You love her, so do the right thing here.

  “If you don’t, next you’ll be working at Gant-Peterson and having kids with a woman you don’t love while you’re both whoring your way through Denver. I’ll be at home, and so will Sasha.”

  Ellis marches past me, and I look to the ceiling.

  “He’s not saying you love that junkie you had living with you, is he? Whitney told me all about her.” I charge across the room, forcing my father to step back until he’s against his desk.

  I point in his face. “She’s not a junkie. You don’t know shit about her.”

  “Exactly. I don’t know anything about her or her family. She’s nobody, son. Whitney’s gorgeous, educated and a Peterson. Don’t you want to be a part of the Gant-Peterson empire?”

  I shake my head. “No, Dad, I don’t. I love the business I’ve built, and if Orson were here, I’d tell him to shove his money up his ass.

  “If you’re going to stay angry with me for not adding millions to your existing billions, then tell me now so I know to never walk through that door again, but right now, I’m going to get my girl.”

  I leave my father alone, and as I reach the end of the hallway, Whitney rounds the corner.

  “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. The wedding planner wants to announce us and welcome everyone.”

  “We need to talk.” Grabbing her arm, I drag her into my mother’s sewing room. “I can’t marry—”

  “Oh, no, no, no.” Her arms come up. “You don’t get to do this now.”

  “Listen to me.” I take her hands in mine, but she yanks them away. Her eyes are round, her mouth agape.

  “Greyson, please don’t.”

  “Did you know about the trust Orson left me?”

  “You know?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Our parents made me promise not to, but I swear I don’t only want the money.”

  “It doesn’t matter. All I care about right now is calling off this phony engagement.” Grabbing her hands again, I hold them tight as tears pool in her eyes.

  “I know it’s going to be humiliating, but screw all those people out there. Don’t worry about what they think. Only focus on what you want, and I know I’m not it.”

  “But Daddy will think I failed him.”

  “He won’t. He loves you more than anything. I’ll take the blame and tell the wedding planner I called it off. Go be with Sebastian. I know he’s who you want.”

  Before she can object again, I kiss her forehead and leave her alone, for good this time.

  Camilla

  “I want to put the sprinkles on the cookies,” Liam announces as he reaches up for a jar of them on the island. Handing them to him, I snicker over how cute he is in his little brown glasses.

  He hated them and kept removing them on the way home, but once Ellis told him they were his super powers and would make him see better than anyone else on the planet, he was sold.

  That earned Ellis not only brownie points but the real brownies I’m making for him right now. I’m sure he’ll be a bear when he gets home from the engagement party this evening, so I’m hoping sweets will help turn his mood around.

  Liam jogs over to the dinette set we’ve covered in a few different kinds of cookies. If my kid gets his way, there’ll be bright sprinkles on each one of them.

  In her tiny denim shorts, Sasha’s sitting in a chair with her foot propped up on the seat. I can hear her music from her earbuds as she stares out the kitchen window. She’s twirling a piece of her hair that’s fallen from her messy bun.

  I tap her shoulder. “Sis, are you OK?”

  She turns to face me. “Like the last ten times you asked, I’m good. I need to stay busy, is all.” Removing one earbud, she finds a smile for Liam. “Do you want help putting on the sprinkles?”

  The doorbell rings.

  “I wanna answer it,” he yells before he hands her the jar. “Here, you do it, but don’t put them on the chocolate chip ones. Those are Boss-Daddy’s, and he told me no sprinkles.” He gives her a look of warning I’ve seen too often from his father.

  “Liam, wait for me,” I call out as he runs from the kitchen. Maybe it’s one of the security men needing something. With both hands on the knob, Liam pulls the door back, and Emma steps right in.

  There’s a look of horror on her face, and then I see them–the gun and Christopher. He shoves her forward and snatches Liam right up in his arms.

  “Liam!” Emma screams as I charge toward them. Chris jerks the gun up to Liam’s temple, so I freeze.

  “Don’t even think about it. Both of you, get back now.” Emma cries, and I fight not to do the same.

  “Chris, what are you doing? I know you don’t want to harm him.”

  “Momma.” Whimpering, Liam strains his head back to look at Christopher.

  “You’re right. I don’t want to hurt him, but I will if I have to, so you’re going to do exactly as I say if you want him back.”

  “Camilla, I’m so sorry,” Emma says through her tears. “He came to my apartment and forced me to drive here so he could get through the gate.”

  “Why don’t you let Emma take Liam upstairs, and you and I can talk this out.”

  He sneers, “Do you think I’m that stupid?”

  “I only want to help. Something’s wrong with you, Chris, and we’ll get you the mental help that you need.”

  “There’s not a dam
n thing wrong with me. I’m here to get what’s rightfully mine.”

  “What’s that? Is it money? I’ll call Ellis—”

  “Don’t reach for your phone!” he yells, pointing the gun in my direction.

  I hold my hands up. “OK, what if I go to the bank with you? I have a lot of money in my account.”

  He laughs. “You don’t have the kind of money I’m looking for. Now, listen to me. I’m taking Liam, and then I’m going to call Ellis with instructions on how to get me the money. If he does what I say, I’ll leave Liam somewhere safe and sound.”

  Covering my mouth, I envision the worst.

  “No, Christopher. Please, I’ll do anything you ask. Ellis will pay a ransom for me, too. I know it, so take me instead.”

  “Mommy!” Liam stretches his arms out for me, but Chris only brings him in closer as he takes steps backward.

  “No, Ellis deserves to feel the pain of missing his child, wondering if he’ll get him back. You screwed up everything by going to that funeral home.

  “If you’d listened to me, we’d be on a fucking island right now with a mountain of cash. Oh, wait, no, you screwed up that plan long before when you got pregnant by Ellis instead of Tony.”

  As if he’s calming the fury within him, he closes his eyes for a second and shakes his head. The pistol is bouncing by Liam’s head again, and I’m dying inside.

  “You know, I killed Tony so you’d collect the inheritance for Liam, but you fucked up everything by being a slut. You didn’t want me. No, you had your eyes set on the money, too.

  “I wasted years orchestrating that plan. My brother had it so fucking good compared to me, and I deserved my share.”

  “I can get you your share.”

  “Shut up! He was supposed to leave it all to Liam, and he even lied to me about that, giving Ellis everything instead. He never accepted me as a brother.”

  My son cries from Chris’s thundering voice. Emma’s sobbing next to me, and I’m trying to stay upright to process Christopher’s confession and a way out of this nightmare.

  Sasha.

  Maybe she called the police. Liam begins kicking his legs, trying to free himself, so Chris backs up even closer to the door.

  “You’re not leaving with him!” I shout.

  “I don’t need you to make this happen. With you out of the picture, Ellis will be even more determined to get his son back.”

  My hands ball into fists, and I squint.

  “With me out of the picture, he’ll find you and kill you.”

  Pulling the gun away from Liam’s temple, he points it straight at me.

  “Bye, bitch.”

  Sasha. I see her hair as she steps in front of me.

  A gunshot.

  Sasha falls.

  Someone’s grabbing Christopher.

  It’s all happening so fast.

  The gun slides across the marble, and Liam falls from Christopher’s arms. Screaming in terror, he gets back on his feet and runs at me.

  Ellis is behind Chris, squeezing his neck in a choke hold until he drops to the floor with Ellis’s arm still around him.

  Scooping Liam up, I press him against me. My hand’s on the back of his head as I hug him.

  So much noise...

  So much noise...

  Slow, slow motion. Sasha… Why is Sasha on the floor? Why is there blood? There’s so much blood.

  “Sasha!” Handing Liam off to Emma, I fall to my knees. I roll my sister from her side to her back, and she’s bleeding from a wound above her chest. “Sasha. Ellis, Ellis, help me!”

  With Christopher out cold, Ellis rushes over.

  “Emma, call 911, take Liam to another room, and make sure he’s OK,” he shouts.

  Ripping off his dress shirt, he wads it up and presses it to Sasha’s wound. Her eyes slightly open but roll back in her head.

  “Sasha, can you hear me?” Spotting blood seeping out from beneath her back, I scream.

  “Camilla, Camilla.” Ellis grabs my shoulders and shakes me. “You need to stay calm and check her pulse and breathing. Keep pressure on her wound, too. I’m going to check on Liam and get security up here before Christopher comes to.”

  Nodding, I get it together and keep pressure on Sasha’s wound. Her eyelids open halfway, and she tries to speak, but a gurgling sound is all she can manage.

  “Sweetie, don’t talk. Help’s on the way.” I stroke her hair as blood soaks through Ellis’s shirt and coats my hand. She’s lying in a pool of red now, and I don’t know what else to do.

  Her body begins to shake, so I struggle to hold her still. “You’re going to make it, Sasha. Please, keep fighting.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Greyson

  The gate to Ellis’s home is wide open, and as soon as I start down the long drive, I see the red and blue flashing lights ahead. Gunning it, I speed toward the house. Two ambulances and three police cars are in the circle drive. Paramedics are moving a stretcher inside, so I race up behind them.

  A young cop holds his hand out at the door.

  “This is a crime scene. You can’t come in here.”

  “I’m family and gettin’ in that house.” I shove right past him, and once I’m in the hall, I come up on Ellis and a few police officers who are detaining Christopher as he lies on the floor.

  “What happened?”

  “Christopher tried to kidnap Liam. I came home and heard him yelling from the other side of the door. I was able to sneak in behind him.” I look over at the paramedics who are crowding around someone.

  “Who else is hurt?”

  Ellis grips the back of his head. “It’s Sasha. She was shot.” Sprinting across the room, I get to her as she’s being loaded onto a stretcher. In tears, Camilla’s holding her hand.

  “Greyson, she was shot.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Can you ride with her in the ambulance? I need to go with Liam.”

  “Of course.”

  Sasha’s loaded up in the ambulance, and I demand to ride in the back with her. Her skin is pale, her clothes soaked in blood. No, she can’t die. I take her hand in mine.

  “Ladybug, can you hear me? I was supposed to be the daring one today, not you.”

  Sasha opens her eyes, but they close right away. She tries again.

  “You’re here.”

  “Yes, and I’m not leaving your side.”

  ***

  “How’s Sasha?” I ask Ellis and Camilla after they walk into the waiting room.

  “She’s still in surgery,” Camilla replies. “The bullet went in right below her collarbone, so they think she’ll pull through.”

  “And Liam?”

  She kisses the top of his head. “He’s OK. They don’t believe he’ll have any permanent hearing loss from the gun firing. As far as emotionally, it’s too early to tell.

  “I’m worried about Emma, too. I need to call her soon.” She nods toward the chairs across the room. “I’ll sit over there so you two can talk. Liam needs to sleep.”

  Bringing his fist up, Ellis eyes the wall. “I should’ve killed Christopher while I had the chance, but I kept thinking about Liam watching. I was so close, and if I’d done it, we’d never have to worry about the sick fuck again. He admitted to killing Tony.”

  “Damn. Then he’ll be in prison for years if not life.”

  “True.”

  “I have to see Sasha. What if I don’t get the chance?”

  Sitting down next to me, Ellis stretches his legs out in front of him.

  “I saw it happen.”

  “You saw her get shot?”

  “She stepped right in front of Camilla to protect her. I was coming in, but I wasn’t fast enough.”

  “What if you hadn’t left the party?”

  “But I did, and you left, too.”

  “I wised up and finally grew a pair.”

  “I’m proud of you.”

  “You were right about Sasha. I love her. It’s the craziest thin
g. I know we’re different in many ways, but she makes me so damn happy. She does the cutest shit. The girl makes sweet tea by the gallon that could rot your teeth. She has a sweet tooth like you, but worse.

  “She’s obsessed with Justin Bieber and has never been to a concert, so I want to take her to meet him backstage, but I worry he’ll like her. What kind of messed-up shit is that? I fear having my girl stolen by the Bieber.”

  Ellis laughs.

  “She’s a slob, too, whereas I’m neat. I’m up at five, and she’d sleep until noon, but all the ways she’s different make her fucking adorable. I love that she eats purple popsicles and wears shirts that have unicorns and rainbows on them.”

  My foot taps fast from the adrenaline rush. “She’s not trying to be someone she’s not, and she only wants me. I guarantee it wouldn’t matter if I was broke. She’d be right by my side, telling me everything will be OK and to have a Skittle.”

  Ellis’s eyebrows lift, and I feel my face heat.

  “Yeah, I hear myself. I can’t help it; I’m lovesick, cuz.”

  The door opens, and a man wearing scrubs walks in and heads over to Camilla. He looks to be in his thirties, and I’m guessing he’s the surgeon.

  “Ms. Rose is out of surgery. She’s going to be fine, but she’s lost a lot of blood, so she’ll be admitted for a few days. Someone will come get you once she’s out of recovery. She’s a lucky woman. If the bullet had been any lower, this wouldn’t be the outcome.”

  “Thank you so much for saving her.” Smiling, he nods and leaves the room, and I blow out a weighted breath.

  “She’s going to be OK,” Ellis says. “You get to be lovesick together.”

  Sasha

  “Good morning,” Camilla says.

  “Morning,” I croak. I notice the irritation from my dry throat, but it doesn’t compare to the pain in my chest and shoulder.

  “You’re in pain. I should call the nurse.”

  “No. I told them in recovery not to give me any narcotics. They said you told them I was an addict before surgery, so they asked.”