Preston ran his hands over his thighs as he met my gaze. “Look, you’ve been really good to me, man. Even when I didn’t deserve it, you always came through for me.”
“You’re my brother,” I said, as if it was a no-brainer.
I’d always felt like it was. I’d help my family before I helped myself in most cases.
“Yeah, I know, and I’m grateful, you know, for what you did here. You helped make this place great. You put it on the map, and now I’m afraid I’m going to lose it all.”
“Lose it? Why? What happened? Is business down?”
Preston shook his head. “No. Business is alright. It’s me. I fucked up.”
“What did you do?” I asked, my eyes narrowing as I watched him carefully.
“It came from a good place. I swear it did, but then shit went south. Denny got hurt, and I couldn’t make up the difference, so I thought if I just bet on a few more fights I’d be straight. It just didn’t work out.” He shook his head. “I tried, Cam.”
“Gambling,” I said resolutely as realization dawned on me. “You were gambling?”
“Yeah, but it’s just because I wanted to pay you back for the money you put into this place. It was going to take me forever to do it with only the income I was pulling, and with the baby, shit’s been tighter, so I went to someone who could help.”
I felt all the blood drain from my face when he said that. “Who did you go to?”
Preston shook his head, his gaze back on the desk. “Don’t worry about that. It’s not important. I just need to pay him what I owe, and I don’t have the money.”
“Shit, Pres,” I said around a sigh.
“I know. It’s like I’m bad luck or something. All the bad shit happens to me.”
“I cannot believe you were gambling – again. You know that shit never pays off. Shit, you saw Dad blow his entire paycheck at the track time and again. You know what that feels like to not be able to eat because there’s no money to buy food. What the hell were you thinking?”
He shrugged. “That I’d get lucky. I just picked the wrong guys a few times. I guess that’s what Dad used to say too.” He shook his head. “It turns out I’m a loser just like he was.”
“You’re not a loser,” I told him, but I didn’t completely mean it. I was pissed that he’d do something like this, and I wanted the severity of it to resonate with him. “Pres, I don’t get it.”
He looked up at me, the pain in his eyes evident. “What’s not to get? I wanted to pay you back. It just didn't work out that way.”
“I never asked you to pay me back. The money I gave you wasn’t a loan.”
“I know, but you’re my kid brother. I couldn’t let you bankroll this place.”
“Why not?” I demanded, my anger taking over.
“Because I couldn’t, okay. I wanted to do this on my own. I know I needed your help, but I wanted to pay you back. I wanted to feel like I accomplished something, that I did something great all on my own. I wanted to feel like I was worth something. You have no idea what it’s like to have your little brother be a millionaire with fame and success and women falling at his feet. I’ve never had that. I’ve never had anything close to that. I’ve failed at almost everything I’ve ever tried. You don’t know how shitty that feels.”
I ran my hand back through my hair in frustration. “So, you’re jealous? Is that it? Are you angry with me for being in Westside? For putting myself out there and going after what I wanted? For being good at what I do? For being successful?”
“No,” he said quickly. “That’s not it. I’m damn proud of you, Cam. I am. You did what most of us only dreamed about, but because of that, I can’t help but look at my life and see that it doesn’t even come close. What do I have to be proud of?”
“This place. Your son,” I said pointedly, sort of in shock at what I was hearing.
“Yeah, the product of a drunken one-night stand after Callie dumped me because my life wasn’t going anywhere.”
“You’d better never tell Parker that,” I warned him. “That kid shouldn’t know he was a mistake, because he wasn’t, and you know it. And no wonder Callie dumped you. You can’t even see what’s right in front of you. Dammit, Preston. You’re not an idiot. You just make bad choices, but you have the chance to have the life we never had, and you can give Parker more than we could have ever dreamed of. Do you realize that? You can have a great life. If you keep working on the business plan we drew up, which has been doing pretty well so far, this place is going to make a lot of money.”
“I’ll never have as much as you,” he grumbled.
“No, you won’t, but if that’s what you’re going to fixate on, I can’t help you. Besides, money isn’t everything. The people in your life, this place, the success you make for yourself, those are the things that make your life good. Money can’t buy love, it can’t buy happiness, and it sure as shit can’t buy you common sense. Dammit, if you want a great life, ask Callie to marry you, save up for a house, and give Parker everything we wanted but never had as kids. Make your life great, and it will be great.”
He sighed. “Right.”
He wasn’t hearing what I was saying at all. He didn’t believe me.
“How much do you owe, Pres?” I asked, changing the subject. I wasn’t going to get through to him. Not today.
He hesitated before saying, “Twenty-five grand.”
I felt my eyes get wide. “Twenty-five thousand dollars?”
Preston nodded miserably. “Yeah.”
I sighed as I shook my head, mulling everything over in my mind. This was big. I knew that, but we’d been down this road before. I’d bailed my brother out when he’d built up gambling debts two other times, but it was never this much. The first time was five grand, and the second was ten. Twenty-five thousand was a lot.
It wasn’t like I couldn’t pay it. I could, but a small part of me feared that if I did that I was enabling my brother. He knew he could come to me, that I’d bail him out, and if he continued to think that, then this was likely to happen again and again. He was right about one thing – he was just like our dad.
“Please Cam,” he said softly.
I looked up and met his pained expression and shook my head. “No. Pres, I can’t do it.”
“What?” he asked in shock. “What do you mean you can’t do it? I know you have the money.”
“I do, but I’m not giving it to you. I’m sorry.”
“Then what the hell am supposed to do?” he asked, his face a frightening shade of pale.
I shrugged, pushing away the guilt I felt at turning him down. “Get a second job, sell stuff on Ebay, donate your spunk, I don’t know. I just can’t help you this time.”
Preston ran his hand back through his hair. “Fuck, Cam. Really?”
“Yeah, really,” I said, getting up. I was done talking about this. I’d never been so disappointed in my brother before.
“Come on, man. I need your help,” he pleaded desperately, and I tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in my gut that said I should help him because we were family.
“Well, you’re not getting it,” I said firmly, sticking to my guns. “Not this time. I’m sorry.”
His eyes narrowed as I turned to leave. He was mad. Well, I was mad too. I wasn’t his ATM.
“So I guess lunch is out of the question,” Preston said when I’d turned my back.
I turned to look over my shoulder at him. “Not today, man.”
“You’re pissed,” he deduced.
“Yes, I’m pissed,” I said calmly.
“I’m sorry, Cam. I know I let you down.”
I turned around and faced him. “You know what, that’s where you’re wrong. You didn’t let me down, Pres. You let yourself down. You let Callie down, and you let Parker down. They’re your family. They’re who matter. Remember that the next time you think about placing a bet.”
I didn’t wait for my brother to respond, I just turned and left his office, letting the door slam behi
nd me. I kept my eyes forward as I walked toward Andi, ignoring the stares I was getting from the guys in the gym. I didn’t feel like engaging with anyone.
“Where’s Chris?” I asked Andi when I reached her. She was eyeing me with concern.
“He went outside to make a phone call. Why?”
“We’re leaving.”
“What about lunch? I thought we were going out with your brother.”
“We’re not,” I told her. “We’ll order room service back at the hotel.”
“Cam, what happened?” she asked, as I started to walk toward the door.
“I’ll tell you about it when we’re alone,” I said when she caught up with me outside. I needed to think. Too much was swimming through my mind.
“Okay,” Andi said as we climbed into the back of the SUV.
As soon as Chris started the engine, I let my head fall back against the headrest and put my arm around Andi, drawing her close. She rested her head on my shoulder, but she didn’t say a word. I had a feeling she knew that was exactly what I needed.
We rode in silence, and I tried to take solace in the comfort she brought. There were things I couldn’t change, and my brother was one of them. It was just a reality I was going to have to come to terms with, and I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I felt like a dick for not helping him, but I knew it was for the best. He needed to stand on his own. I just hoped he could do it.
Chapter Seventeen
Andi
“Are you still feeling guilty?” I asked Cam as we lay in bed together.
It was our last night in Detroit. Cam had taken me to a trendy Irish pub for dinner, and we’d spent the night drinking and talking. He’d finally opened up to me about what had transpired with his brother the day before. Until then I’d been clueless and a little concerned about him.
His demeanor had changed when we’d left the gym, even though he tried to pretend he was okay. I could see right through him, and I knew something was wrong. Even when we’d met his father for dinner later that night, I could tell Cam was still distracted.
His dad was the polar opposite of his mother. Mr. Baylor didn’t say much, although he was polite and friendly. He was quiet, but he was nice to me, and we had an enjoyable time eating at a casual Italian place in the city. Cam hadn’t said much, so I kept the conversation going, asking his dad about his auto body shop and what he did for fun. In turn, he asked me about working in PR and what it was like to live in New York.
When we’d left the restaurant, we came face-to-face with the first photographers we’d seen in weeks. I was surprised by them, but I was able to remember all the things Katherine had told me about what do to if they surfaced, so it wasn’t so bad. We were in the car before they could get too many pictures of us or even get close enough to say much. They seemed content to capture stills of Cam and me holding hands. Apparently that said enough.
The pictures had surfaced online this morning, and there for the world to see was Cam’s hand in mine along with his despondent expression. Suddenly we were a new couple that was ‘on shaky ground already’. It wasn’t true. We were fine. Cam was sweeter than ever, and he seemed to always want me close. He’d held my hand throughout dinner, and in the car he’d had his arm around me. Even back at the hotel when we’d gone to the bar for a drink, he’d been affectionate, and later in our room, he’d made love to me in front of the fireplace. I wasn’t worried about us, but I was worried about him. Something was off, and until tonight, he hadn’t told me what it was.
Over dinner he’d thanked me for coming with him to meet his family, telling me he had a great time, and it was then that I’d asked him if he was okay. I think I said it in a way that made him see how worried I was, and after hesitating for a few seconds, he’d told me everything that had happened with Preston. It wasn’t what I’d been expecting.
He said he felt like a jerk for turning his brother down, and although I didn’t say anything in response, I didn’t agree with him for feeling that way. Twenty-five thousand dollars was a lot of money, and I didn’t think Cam should feel obligated to bail his brother out just because he’d screwed up. It wasn’t right.
Cam was still hesitant about his decision, though, but before I could even respond, he changed the subject on me. We left it behind as we moved on to other topics, and Cam’s demeanor shifted back to normal. He seemed more settled after he talked about why he’d denied Preston the money, almost like he needed to justify his decision to himself. I was just relieved to see him relaxed and smiling again. I felt like he’d been tense for half of our trip, but I guess family can do that to you. My parents certainly stressed me out enough whenever I was around them.
After dinner Cam and I headed outside to find the paparazzi waiting for us yet again. The valet was taking longer bringing our car around, so we stood there as they snapped picture after picture. Cam didn’t say a word, refusing to entertain their questions, so I did the same. Then, just as the car was sliding into the space in front of us, Cam leaned over and told me I looked beautiful, making me smile. I knew I had a grin on my face when he pressed his lips to my cheek and the flashbulbs went off around us in rapid fire.
“Let them print those and say we’re not a happy couple,” he murmured as his lips slid to my ear, kissing me once more just in front of my earlobe.
“I hope they do,” I said as he pulled back, making him smile.
We got into the car and proceeded to play tug of war as Cam tried to tease me the whole way back to the hotel. He knew I hated doing anything in front of Chris, so he tried to not draw attention to us as he pressed kisses to my neck, sucked on my earlobe, and tried to torture me through my jeans. With Chris only a few feet away, I refused to give in, and it took everything in me to stay silent. But by the time we got back to the hotel, I was ready to come out of my skin.
Cam had pounced on me as soon as the door to the suite had closed behind us, and we’d ended up in bed. After fulfilling my insatiable boyfriend’s needs twice and loving every second of it, I was appreciating the skin-to-skin contact as we lay together under the warmth of the covers, a fire in the nearby fireplace keeping the room warm and toasty.
“Do I feel guilty about what?” Cam asked in that lazy post-coital way of his where his voice sounded sleepy and sexy. “About the multiple orgasms I delivered on? No. Not at all.”
I laughed. “Never feel guilty about that. Orgasms are always welcome.”
“Good, because they’re not going to stop,” he said, as he pulled me closer.
“Glad to hear it, but I was actually asking about Preston. Are you still feeling guilty about telling him no?”
I felt Cam shrug. “A little. I’m not sure that’s going to go away, though. Twenty-five thousand is a lot of money. He doesn’t have it. He doesn’t even have close to enough, and I’m not sure what he’s going to do to find it. That’s kind of bothering me.”
“Maybe he can pay it off in installments,” I suggested.
Cam chuckled. “It’s not a loan, Andi. I’m sure whoever he lost the money to is going to want it back soon. I just hope Pres doesn’t sell off any equipment at the gym. He doesn’t exactly have anything else of value – except his car. He might sell that. It’ll get him around fifteen grand.”
“That should help.”
Cam sighed. “Yeah, but he’ll still have to find another ten. I don’t know. Maybe I should give him half. That would make it more manageable for him to pay the debt in full. What do you think?”
I turned and looked up at him. “You want my opinion?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Andi, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want it. Should I do it?”
I bit my lip before I said, “No. I don’t think you should. You said he’s done this before, and I think you’re right that if you keep paying off his debts he’ll continue to think you’ll bail him out of trouble, and he might not stop.”
Cam sighed. “I know. I also know how bad i
t can get. My dad had a gambling addiction for years. That and the drinking were what made my mother finally leave. She couldn’t handle it. He quit both after she moved out, but I saw how hard it was for him. And he had a few relapses over the years, although I’m pretty sure he’s been clean for about five years now.”
“I never would have guessed that about him,” Andi said softly.
“Yeah, well, he’s a different man now, but there were some really bad years. My mom worked two jobs so we wouldn’t get evicted and we’d have something to eat, but it wasn’t always enough. I can remember eating pickles and black beans for dinner one night, because we didn’t have anything else in the house. My dad had gambled away his paycheck, and Preston had gotten bronchitis, so my mom had spent what we had on his doctor’s visit and medication. Until she got paid again, we ate whatever we had.”
I felt my stomach clench at the thought of Preston and Cam going without as kids. I didn’t know what that felt like and was glad I couldn’t relate.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” I told him, hugging him a little tighter.
“Me too. And I don’t want the same thing to happen to Parker. He deserves better.”
“Then I think you made the right call in telling Preston you wouldn’t help him,” I told him, hoping it would settle his doubts.
“I guess, but what if I did more harm than good. What if Pres sells things that Parker needs just to make the money? I honestly don’t know what he’s going to do. If I give him half, he’ll be better off.”
My heart sank as I heard Cam caving in to his guilt.
“Cam, I don’t know,” I said, hoping I wasn’t overstepping my bounds. “You said before that you didn’t want to get involved. I think that’s smart.”
He sighed. “I guess.”
“He can take out a loan,” I offered, figuring it was a viable option. “He owns his business, right?”
“Yeah, he does.”
“Well, he can put that up as collateral. My dad’s in banking, so I know a little about this. It’s a pretty good option, and then Preston can pay it back on terms that work for him.”
Westside Series Box Set Page 27
