My plan of action was set. Step one was to be cordial until Court left us alone. Step two was to let him down nicely then ease back into the living room to socialize with my friends.
“So, here is she is,” Court said, opening her palms toward me as if she were presenting me as a gift.
“So she is,” Greg said, leering at me.
I tried not to frown, but I was sure I failed. “So what’s this about?” I snapped, failing at the being cordial part of step two.
“Just, uh …” Greg said as if he was lost for words. His gaze shifted to Courtney and back to me.
My eyes narrowed. Something was familiar about the way Greg was behaving. I’d seen it with patients who didn’t want their loved ones to know the extent of their illnesses. But Greg had no reason to behave that way. I began to wonder if he was pacifying Courtney because he wanted to be in Rich’s shoes.
Then Courtney squeezed his bicep in that hands-on way in which she flirted with men. I vaguely remembered her coming on to Jake in front of me.
“Gosh, Pen, be nicer to this handsome guy,” she said then performed a hair toss and finger rake.
“You wanted to meet me?” I asked, making a split-second decision not to turn on the charm.
Greg glanced at Courtney then back at me. “Sure,” he said. “I’m shocked because you’re more beautiful than I remembered.”
I was on the verge of graciously calling bullshit on that, suspecting that he hadn’t remembered me at all, when Rich called, “Penina!” His hand came down on my shoulder. “Or is it Vagina?”
He was the only one who laughed at his silly joke.
Instantly, Courtney’s fake grinning fizzled into a baffled frown as Rich wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“Where’s the doctor?” Rich asked, slightly slurring. He was drunk, which made sense. He always drank too much when something vexed him.
“The hospital’s full of doctors. Which one are you talking about?” I asked.
“The one you’re fucking,” he said.
Court’s eyes grew wide with embarrassment. My jaw dropped, as I, too, was speechless.
“The guy who drives you around town in that fucking limousine or whatever.” He reached out and tapped Greg on the shoulder. “Dude, he gets way further than I ever did.”
“Rich, shut up,” Courtney scolded him. “You’ve had too much to drink.” She shimmied out of his grasp. “Let’s just have dinner so you can get some food in your system and sober up and stop acting like an ass.”
Courtney stomped off, clapping her tiny hands while calling for everyone to make their way to the tent in the backyard for dinner.
“Seating arrangements have already been set. Don’t sit anywhere other than where you are assigned,” she said.
Rich hadn’t moved yet. He stood there glaring at me until Courtney came back, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him as she had me earlier.
Greg Carroll put a hand on my waist as if he’d just taken ownership of me. “We’d better go,” he said, smirking at me as if he had decided to make a play for me.
Jake was the last person who’d touched me that way, and for a second, I felt how heartbreaking it would be if, because we were related, he wouldn’t be able to touch me that way ever again. Then I checked my watch. We hadn’t seen each other in four hours, and I wondered whether he was still planning on showing up or if he had been thrown into surgery.
If he was coming, then I prayed he would hurry up and get there. Something told me I was in for a long, awkward, and perhaps embarrassing dinner.
Chapter Six
Jake Sparrow/Asher Christmas
Three and a Half Hours Ago
I loathed lying to Penina, especially since dishonesty had been a barrier in our relationship. The call I had received was not from Si. It was from my brother Spencer. I suspected Gina had given him my number. As usual, she would do anything to get on his good side. And as usual, Spencer had no problem using her to get what he wanted, and that was me.
He was the last person I wanted to see, but he wanted to discuss Pete Sykes purchasing the hospital. I also suspected that was his way of making his visit legit. What he really wanted to do was check on me. Plus, after my encounter with the clerk in the bookstore and having to wait longer before receiving the results that would confirm a biological link between Penina and me, it almost felt like great timing to finally come face-to-face with my brother.
I had sent my last text message to Penina when I was not too far away from Si’s office. I could see the door. Spencer was already in there. He had flown in from New York for our meeting and planned on flying back shortly thereafter. The closer I got to my destination, the more uncomfortable I felt. If I saw Spencer, then it would mean my lengthy hiatus from the Christmases was officially over. But when the rubber met the road, who the hell was I kidding? There was never going to be a permanent separation from my family. But what surprised me the most was how a sudden calm had fallen over me. The sound of my black sneakers hitting the floor was all I could hear. The door to Si’s office was only a few steps away. I stopped and turned to look back up the hallway, marking the distance of how far I had come. I had the freedom to forget about meeting with Spencer. I could start all over again with a new name and new hospital, have my cash back in cryptocurrency by morning, and be across the Atlantic in another country by night. If I hadn’t met Penina, that was exactly what I would’ve done—just for the hell of it, I guessed. Running had become habit. I faced the office again, then I squeezed the doorknob and turned it.
Spencer, who was sitting on the edge of the sofa, stood when he saw me. I couldn’t move for a few beats. Seeing him had instantly transported me to another place and time. It wasn’t good or bad, just different.
“Ash,” he said.
I slowly closed the door behind me but didn’t come closer. I had no idea why I stayed there unmoving, like a boulder. It wasn’t as if Spencer was going to bite.
Nodding sharply, I said, “Spencer. What are you doing here?”
He sniffed as if his reason should’ve been obvious. “You bought a hospital under the name of Pete Sykes.”
“Then you’re here to check out my investment.”
I waited for him to hurl a nice big insult. I wanted him to make it good, so fucking hurtful and demeaning that it reminded me why I’d gone running for the hills in the first place. So far, though, he watched me—more like examined me.
“You look good,” he said finally.
I pressed my lips together, refusing to say it back, even though it was true. He looked different. Spencer’s face used to have a gaunt hardness about it but not anymore. It was as if something evil that used to burden him had released him, setting his soul free.
“You mentioned Pete Sykes,” I said, attempting to sound like less of a dick. “Is he retired or something?”
Spencer snorted a chuckle. “No, he isn’t. But with Father gone, he’s not operating in the background anymore.” Spencer touched himself on the chest. “My company, TFC Global, is now under the umbrella of Christmas Industries.” He grinned as if he was proud of it and wanted me to be too.
I jerked my head back. “No shit?”
His grin got bigger. “Yeah, shit.”
Even though we maintained a safe distance, we shared chortles.
“Congratulations,” I said.
“Thank you. My wife gave me a surprise party and everything,” Spencer said, simpering. “It was nice.”
I could feel my eyes constrict as I tried to figure out if that was really my obnoxious brother standing in front of me.
“I’m glad you’re doing well, though, Ash. Let’s sit and talk about some things.”
Spencer had always been big on power games. One of them was never to sit before the person he was in a meeting with had. In his mind, the first person to take a seat relinquished the power. So I waited for him to pause, but he didn’t. He sat first, and I was shocked as hell.
“Your wife,
huh?” I asked as I took the seat in the armchair across from him.
Spence was still smiling. “Yeah. She’s too good for me, but I do my best.”
I was confused about what sort of woman would marry Spencer, especially given the relationship he had with Gina.
“I can tell by that look on your face that you have doubts about that,” he said.
I grunted. Since he’d mentioned it, I figured I had a license to be honest. “I recall you liked to hit, draw blood, and shit.”
Spence nodded thoughtfully then took a deep breath as he sat up straight. “Remember that therapist I referred to you?”
“Karma or something like that,” I said.
“Dr. Mita Sharma. She’s a fucking ninja therapist,” he said with the same peaceful grin.
I studied how relaxed and in control of his being Spencer was, then stroked my chin. “Indeed, she is,” I said thoughtfully.
My brother and I observed each other for a moment longer until he shifted abruptly.
“And you’re a surgeon, huh?” he asked, grinning again.
I tilted my head curiously. “You really didn’t know?”
Spencer threw his hands up as she shook his head. “You wanted your independence, so Jasper, Bryn, and I gave it to you.”
I didn’t know what to think of that. For the longest time, I’d thought they expended a lot of energy trying to find me. That was why I’d gone to Australia. I’d always been careful about keeping my false identity secure. Lately, I’d been sloppy, though, and I suspected subconsciously that had been on purpose.
“But listen, I want to talk about what you bought here,” Spencer said.
I pressed my lips together as I bounced my knee. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to discuss business. I needed a fucking moment. Something about the way he sat there, pulled the fuck together, healthy, happy, and living life as if we hadn’t come from a fucked-up place, annoyed me. The fact that he could get to that point without hitting the road made no sense at all.
“All this time, you stuck around the family and the business and—”
“No, I didn’t. I got the hell away from there too. I didn’t go as far as you did, but I went away for a while. Bought the ranch in Wyoming, and the rest is history.” He was grinning again as he relaxed against the sofa and folded his fingers behind his head. It was as though he’d forgotten that he’d tried to usher me into a conversation that focused solely on business.
I figured that while he made himself comfortable, I might as well get to my biggest request before we started in on discussing the hospital. I abruptly crossed and uncrossed my legs, still unable to make myself as relaxed as he had. “Listen, Spence, I have a friend. She took a DNA test and was flagged by your foundation.”
He sat up straight again. “Is that so?” He sounded genuinely interested in what I was saying. Who the fuck is this guy?
“Yes,” I said.
“What’s her name?”
I hesitated.
Spencer stretched his neck from side to side. For the first time, I saw that he was just as uncomfortable about the meeting as I was.
“Ash, you can trust me. Shit, I’m giving you my best here. I know we haven’t been the friendliest of brothers. But I love you and always have,” he said.
I nodded continuously. I loved him, too, and always had and always would. “Her name is Penina Ross,” I said finally.
Spencer raised a finger as he took his cell phone out of his pocket. “Give me a second.” He placed a call and looked off as he waited for someone to answer. “Babe, it’s me.” His grin formed slowly. “Yeah, I’m here.” He glanced at me. “He’s here too. Listen, can you look up Penina Ross in the indemnity fund database?” He paused. “Yes, for payouts.”
Spencer winked at me, which clued me in to how intensely I was studying him. I’d always loved him, but for the first time in our lives, I liked this new brother of mine. His presence also showed me how different I was too. On the day my father died, my siblings and I hadn’t sat around grieving. We all got the hell away from each other as fast as we could. It suddenly dawned on me that we couldn’t have remained around each other and matured. There was no faster way to clear a room than putting Bryn, Spencer, Jasper, and me around a dinner table. We behaved like fucking toddlers. Even though our father was dead, we still had to run away from the expectations Randolph had for us. The fucking man had been absent most of our lives, yet his demands were like constant nooses around all of our necks.
“Thanks, babe,” Spencer said finally. “See you soon.”
Then he told the other person he loved her, and it sank in that he worked with his wife.
“Penina Ross is the daughter of Arthur Valentine. Does she work here at the hospital?” Spencer asked.
“Shit,” I said before I realized it. Then I balled up my fist and pressed my knuckles to my teeth. It took every bit of willpower not to reschedule our meeting, get the hell to that party as fast as I could, break the news to Penina, then take her back to the penthouse and fuck her every which way I knew how.
“Good news, huh?” Spencer said, smirking.
Damn, I was still grinning from ear to ear as I looked my brother in the eye. He’d said I could trust him. He could probably see from the stupid look on my face that I was in love. It felt natural to keep Penina to myself or else risk her being stolen by Spencer or Jasper. But if I wanted my world to be different with my family in it, then I had to operate differently.
“Penina is a surgeon in the hospital and a beautiful woman that I’m crazy about,” I admitted.
Spence tossed his head back. “Ah, I see. No wonder you asked me right up front. Is that why you showed up?” He was still grinning in a way that didn’t register as dick-like, so I knew he wasn’t being one.
“Sort of. I also wanted to see you,” I was happy to admit.
Spence stood and held his arms out. “Then can I finally get a fucking hug?”
I grunted as I leapt to my feet. Then we bear-hugged each other. It felt good to be in my brother’s life again.
“I need to talk to you about one more thing,” he said.
I was still at ease with him, but I could tell that the other shoe was about to drop.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Did you and Bryn put Father out of his misery?”
We sat down again.
I rubbed the tension out of the back of my neck. Frankly, the business of Bryn and I snuffing our father out was coming up way too much for my comfort. “Have you spoken to Bryn?”
“Yes,” he said, nodding firmly.
I scratched my forehead. “And what did she say?”
“Bryn said she can’t talk about it without you.”
I pushed my shoulders back. “And I can’t say anything without her.” Our pact was childish, that was for sure, but my sister and I had made a deal never to talk about what happened before our father took his last breath without the other’s permission.
Spencer grunted. He was used to Bryn and me sticking together. “I guess we have to get you both in the same room. But you really haven’t heard what they’re accusing you of?”
I was still frowning about his suggesting that he, Bryn, and I—and I was sure Jasper too—would be in the same room again. Those sorts of gatherings never went well for us.
He was still waiting for me to answer his question.
“Spence, I’m a surgeon. I spend three-quarters of my life in the OR. And the people who work in the hospital don’t give a fuck about the Christmases.”
Spencer grinned again. He looked proud. “Fuck, Ash, I couldn’t believe it when Si told me you were a neurosurgeon.” He said “neurosurgeon” in the same tone in which he’d say I was the president of the United States or something. “You cut people’s heads open and work on their brains.”
I leaned away from him. “Si?”
“Yeah, I put two and two together when Pete Sykes bought the medical center where Simon Brown was chief of surgery.”
I nodded. “I was sloppy then.”
“Pretty much.”
I shrugged, knowing I definitely could’ve tried harder to be cleaner. “But I thought Gina might have mentioned where I was to you.” I then communicated how one of her friends had made me at Bartleby Leonard’s annual masquerade party the other night—he was an associate of our family’s. I relayed how I had taken the risk of going because Penina had said she hadn’t had a real night on the town in a long time, and I wanted to be the one to show her some fun.
“I can understand that,” Spencer said. “I spoke to Gina a few weeks ago, before I dropped out of the Senate race.”
I pointed my index finger at him. “I heard you were running for the Senate. I never knew you were interested in politics.”
A smirk passed across Spence’s mouth, evaporating just as fast as it showed up. “I wasn’t. But the shit we’d do for the women we love.”
“Ha,” I scoffed. “I can understand that.”
The glint in his eyes meant he’d caught my joke. That sort of light back-and-forth banter wasn’t normal for us. He would usually scowl about what I had just said, and I would give him something to really be offended about. There was never any peace in our relationship. And his negativity, and mine as well, could overpower a room and suck the oxygen and joy right out of it. So far, we were swimming in oxygen and, surprisingly, a whole lot of joy too.
Spencer stretched his arm across the top of the sofa, making himself more comfortable. “As I said before, Gina showed up at my office in New York. I hadn’t seen her in years. She looked good, though. Teaching young girls how to be Olympic champions seems to be agreeing with her.”
He spoke of Gina as if they were old friends. I remembered them as two people who used to beat the shit out of each other and get off on it. I’d peeked in on them once. Gina egged Spencer on to hit her. At first, he shrank away from her, but she insulted him, calling him limp dick, no good, trash, shit like that, making Spencer angry enough to haul off and hit her. Their relationship was built on sickness, but he spoke as if they were neighbors on Mr. Rogers’s block.
Embrace: The Secret Billionaire Asher Christmas Duet, Two (The Dark Christmases Book 9) Page 5
