Bona Fide (Illusive Duet Book 2)

by Hazel Grace

  However, that’s not what has me gaping at her like I just legit ran into Kevin Creekman.

  This bitch is me.

  Dark, long hair that waves slightly, perfect bone structure, decent sized tits, and her toned legs covered in black jeans with a matching leather coat—This. Woman. Is. My. Doppelganger.

  “I apologize.” She steps forward and extends a hand that I want to slap away. “I’m Indie.”

  I peer over my shoulder at the painting I was admiring before. “This is your gallery event.”

  “Yes, thank you so much for coming.”

  I hate you, girl, don't thank me.

  “You’re talented,” I practically growl before bringing her back into my view. “Everything is unique and perfectly done.”

  She blushes slightly, which irks my nerves even more. She's modest, gorgeous, brilliant, and is on a level with Wade that I don't want her to be. That I have no right wishing for.

  “Not everything in here is mine,” she retorts. “I brought in some local artists to help fill the space. I didn’t have enough pieces.”

  “Regardless,” I gripe through a forced smile because I’m already done complimenting her. “You should be proud.”

  She bows her chin into her chest. “I am. This is a dream come true.” She peers over her shoulder. “And I’ve had some support.”

  I could almost slap her for being so damn sweet just to see if she can quickly get pissed off.

  It's not her fault.

  It's not.

  She's fallen under the same spell I did over a year ago. Wade is gorgeous, accomplished, has the broody bit down, and he's every girl's fantasy.

  I got out, keep it that way.

  However, I wonder if she knows or read that he’s married. If he’s given her a disclaimer that if his wife finds out about her that she better not like any of her family or have a car that she minds getting blown up.

  As if she can read my mind, a frown suddenly appears on her face before Wade steps to her side to push away whatever it is that she's worried about.

  “This is Reagan Shelton,” Wade voices, gesturing at me with his hand while the other one disappears behind her back. “She was my event planner when I was governor. She knows the importance of privacy.”

  I perk a brow. "Do I?" Wade chuckles, a little too pitchy because he just threatened me, but now I'm supposed to be quiet about sucking his dick last week?

  ‘Ole boy obviously needs a reminder.

  “You do,” Wade insists, relaxed next to his new side piece. “When you know the lengths I’d go to make sure you remember.”

  The corner of my lips quirk because I’m so fucking pissed I can’t do anything else but that. “I do remember. And all the things you left out in between.” I salute Indie with a finger along my forehead. “Have a great night, Indie. Congratulations on the opening.”

  Without a second glance in Wade's direction, I begin making my way back to Enzo, who's still cornered by Wade's men. He's signing paperwork that one of the suits is holding up for him on a clipboard.

  “What are you doing?”

  Enzo glances up. “Oh, just signing that I didn’t see the President of the United States tonight. You know, security purposes.”

  "You must go through a lot of those," I comment to the closest douchebag next to me. His eyes flick down at me, but his head doesn't move, silent as a grave.

  I hear Indie squeal in delight at something—Wade—and my nostrils flare.

  "I'll get the car." I don't wait for Enzo to argue; just push through the glass door and hit the pavement.

  Wade is a piece of shit that won’t keep his ugly stench away from me.

  I’ve been done.

  Poor Indie is just beginning.

  ♫ Ghostin — Ariana Grande ♫

  Me: Hey, we have to talk when you get a chance.

  Not even thirty seconds after sending the message, my phone goes off. Clenching it tightly, I answer, knowing precisely what I need to do.

  “Hey, Jed.”

  “Hey, beautiful,” he beams through the phone like he just popped off pink glitter in the air. “How’s it going?”

  “Good, you?”

  “Not bad, what’s up? Everything okay?” I pick up a pen off my desk and begin clicking the top.

  I've wanted to break us off for a while now, just thought it'd be respectful to sit down and talk about it face-to-face.

  However, Wade didn't care if he was making me do shit the easy, hard, bomb, or shitty way, he just wanted it done his way.

  Forty-eight hours.

  How'd he know if I really do it? One of his suits came outside with a phone number on a ripped piece of paper to send evidence to.

  “Yeah—” I toss my pen down and straighten my shoulders. “—just wanted to talk to you about a few things.”

  “Cool, shoot.”

  “Well, you know I think you’re great. I mean, we’ve known each other forever.”

  "Yeah, Rea, we've done a lot of crazy shit." He chuckles lightly, probably reminiscing on all the times I dragged him along to crash parties and shoved drugs into the head cheerleaders locker one year because she tried to kiss Marty.

  “Good times,” I deadpan.

  “Damn, I’ve lived most of my second-to-second moments with you. You taught me how to be fearless.”

  My eyelids squeeze shut as I clench my cell. “So, listen...Jed, I really wish I could do this with you in the room. We—”

  “Man—” He sighs. “—I wish you were here too.”

  “Well, I just wanted to say that—”

  “When are you coming back home? I think we should hit up a movie. Or maybe you should just come to that event I have coming up. We don’t even have to call it a date. You and I can just go as—”

  “We can’t sleep together anymore.” A silence fills the other line, and I cringe at the buzzing it implies.

  He's upset, I know he is, I know him. But he can’t be destroyed by Wade on top of my cutting ties with him.

  He’ll get over me. He won’t get over his whole life being shattered and devoured for Wade’s breakfast over his morning newspaper.

  “Like in the same bed?” I rub my temple in frustration. I might as well do what I did before and tell him I’m sleeping with Grant again, it’ll have the same effect.

  Maybe this time, he’ll keep hating me.

  "Like at all. No more sex. No more me coming home and us hooking up. We can be friends, but there isn't going to be anything more than that."

  “Why?”

  Mother of all hell.

  “I’m trying to move forward with my life. Honestly, it has nothing to do with you or me, just what I think is fair for the both of us.”

  “Are things getting more serious with Enzo?”

  I shake my head even though he can't see me. “No.”

  “Do you like him better or—”

  “No. It’s about me being by myself and progressing with my business. Mama and Marty—there are just a lot of things that I want to do. With no strings attached or any liabilities to—”

  “I’m a liability now?” he snaps.

  “No, absolutely—shit.” I slam my fist into my desk. “No, you’re not. Not like that.”

  “Seems like I am, Rea, because I was one before. I suffered the most out of every fucking one, and I don’t have shit to show for it. You won’t even give me a chance when I never did anything wrong in the first place.”

  “You’re right,” I convey. “So, right. I fucked up, and I will be forever sorry for it. But you deserve better than me."

  “Don’t make decisions for me,” he fumes. “I’m a grown man. And I know what I want.”

  “I know you are. I’m not trying to belittle you, Jed, I swear.”

  “Then don’t. I’m good for you, Rea.”

  “It can’t be me. I’m sorry but—”

  "I'm getting really tired of the sorry bit. I want us to start over. If you want me to move to be closer to you, then
I will. But you gotta give me something other than your body, Rea. I had your heart once, I want it back."

  “I don’t have it anymore,” I gripe. “It’s gone.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” I snap. “Just let me go.”

  “So I meant shit. You know what—” He releases a heavy exhale. “—I’m done with your mental abuse. You’re so fucked up. Do you even know how much I tried to feel alright after you'd come over with Grant? When you made out in front of me. How many times I wanted to just never wake up again because you wouldn't be mine the next morning. But, oh, those memories I got to think of—what Grant was doing to you, how he got to hold and kiss you. How he got to—"

  “Stop,” I seize. “I fucking get it.”

  "I don't fucking think you do, Rea. I did nothing to deserve what you did to me. I had no pull on my father and what he did to your mom."

  “I know. I’m—”

  “I told you—begged you not to leave me. And do you remember what you said?” I do, I just don’t want to remember. “Do you?”

  “You were never anything that was going to be long term anyway,” I leer through clenched teeth. “You’re just a rich boy who can’t make an executive decision to stand up for someone they allegedly love.”

  He steps towards me with furrowed brows. “I do love you, Rea, with everything I have.”

  I dismiss his sentiment with a wave of my hand. He did nothing. He didn’t fight for me. He had no balls to stick up for what was right.

  He was absolutely worthless to have around.

  “Mama doesn’t have health insurance anymore because of what—Your father! He fired her because she had to go to a few appointments for her cancer. Do you see how fucked up that is?! Now, what is she supposed to do?” I point at myself. “How am I supposed to live without her?”

  “He won’t listen to me,” he objects with a bow of his head into his Abercrombie shirt. “I’m still trying.”

  "It doesn't matter." I take a step back from him, disgusted and utterly ashamed that I ever felt anything for someone so weak. "Your brother is a better fuck, anyways."

  “I remember,” I deadpan.

  “I deserve a chance—us,” Jed quips. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you.” I bite my lower lip—hard.

  I brought him back in and, even though I told him not to get attached to me, I knew he would anyway. It’s his nature.

  And it’s mine to never want to push him away again.

  Except this time, I'm saving his future. I'm making myself the bad guy because I'll never love him like he deserves, and he'll never recover the backlash of a sex tape being released to the public.

  My heart isn’t his.

  Wade abducted it and has no intention of putting it up for ransom.

  “I want you to take care of yourself,” I whisper. “Please, do better than what you have. You deserve it.”

  “Rea, please.”

  “I do love you, Jed. But not in a way that will ever fill us to the brim of a happy life. You’ll resent me because I’ll never be able to fully give myself to you. And I’ll live with the guilt of my mistakes. Just know...please, just know that I want the best for you. And this isn't it.”

  And then I hang up.

  His number shows up above the block option of my phone, and I debate about using it.

  I press it.

  I clench my phone harder, pulling the ripped piece of paper out of my back pocket.

  Me: It’s done.

  I drop the phone like it’s a deadly disease, raking my hand through my thick hair.

  Again, I didn't think of the consequences. I did what I wanted to hurt, slay, and murder anything that took me out of my comfort zone or threatened me in any way. Jed and Grant would, obviously, be collateral damage, but I was too consumed with myself to care.

  But that second sex tape…

  Jed would never do such a thing. He's not as possessive as Wade, but he wouldn't throw me on blast either.

  I shake my head. There’s no fucking way.

  My phone dings off a notification, and I swipe it up.

  Unknown: Prove it.

  Me: Can’t.

  Unknown: Convince me then.

  Me: I just did, I said it.

  Unknown: Not good enough.

  Me: Go fuck yourself.

  Unknown: Don’t need to.

  Unknown: But, if you’re offering, I’ll see what I can do.

  Unknown: Anus is next. Get rid of him.

  I roll my eyes, he's talking about Enzo, and that's where I'm going to need to draw the line.

  There might be things that Enzo does that bug the living shit out of me, but they are minor. Wade can be in his feelings about Grant and Jed and for the right reasons, but I'm not giving in to this.

  Me: Good luck with all of that.

  A soft knock sounds along the frame of my doorway, and I glance up to see Mila with a faint smile on her face.

  “You alright?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m not even going to bother to say that I’m here if you need me because you won’t come. But I will say that you’re strong enough to get through whatever it is that you’re dealing with.”

  I send her a feeble grin. “Thanks.”

  “I’m ordering lunch, then we’ll talk about the Valenz’s event.”

  I nod. "Right." She turns to leave, but I stop her when a thought slams into my head. "Mila...did you mention to anyone that I was going to the art gallery opening?"

  She pushes out her lips, thinking, then shakes her head. “No, why?”

  “No reason.”

  ♫ Wonderwall — Oasis ♫

  “Sir.” Deep into the stack of bills and charts that Heidi has given me, I glance up at the door to see Mitchell standing there stoically.

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re needed by Miss Emmy...immediately, sir.” I look back down at my pile of ideas and all the hard work Heidi put in. I promised her we’d talk about it tomorrow over breakfast, and I haven’t been giving her as much attention as I should. She agreed to run with me and stand behind my decisions. Heidi has been one of the best decisions I’ve made since...forever.

  “Can she wait, Mitch?” I press. “I really have to—”

  “I’m afraid not, sir. The Oval Office has been breached.”

  “Breached? Nothing is kept in there.”

  “But someone was looking in there.”

  “Like?” I cock my head to the side, but he straightens his spine and persists that I go find Em. Rising from my chair, I round my desk. “Alright, I’ll bite. Where is she?”

  He opens my study door and waits for me to walk out. “In the Oval, sir.”

  I make the daily walk down the same two hallways and same people that I’m sure pass me every day, but I can’t seem to keep all their faces categorized in my head. I extend my hand in greeting, wish my “good mornings,” and make it appear that I’m glad to see them all.

  Em wouldn’t let me put name tags on people so it’s her fault that I can’t personalize.

  Cracking open the Oval Office door, I find Em sitting on one of the couches with her hands clasped together. Once she sees me, she shoots up.

  “We have a problem,” she asserts. I immediately notice her small frame again and frown.

  “Are you not eating again, Em?” I blurt. “If we need to make it a daily thing for you to shove carbs down your mouth, I’ll do it.”

  “Demi has been snooping in here.” Her ignoring my comment isn’t lost on me, but I don’t press it. She’s clearly upset about it, and, for what, I have no fucking clue.

  “Okay.”

  Em blinks her brown eyes at me. “That doesn’t wave a red flag in your face?”

  I lift my shoulders. “Not really. She’s always been a conniving bitch and a nosey one.”

  “You just had a meeting with China.”

  I nod. “Yep.”

  “So why is sh
e in here all of a sudden?”

  “Probably looking for information for blackmail or something. I’m not sure, Em, what’s wrong with you? Why are you so worried?”

  “How can you not be worried?” she chides with slitted eyes. “She’s going through government property. Since when does she care about—” I cut her off with a step in her direction.

  Something is off.

  Way off if Em is freaking out over Demi, number one. Two, she knows we don’t keep any important information in here because—well, it’d be fucking dumb.

  “Tell me why you’re bent out of shape so I can follow along with you,” I order. “Honestly, Em, ever since we got here…”

  Her brows draw together before she fixes me with a challenging look at my next words. “Continue.”

  “You’re not the same,” I deadpan, shoving my hands into the pockets of my Tom Ford suit.

  “This position isn’t the same.”

  “I told you not to come with me.”

  “And watch you fire everyone—” She crosses her arms. “—yeah, right.”

  “What do you think she’s looking for then, Em? Demi wouldn't know anything about a bill or a trade agreement even if it hit her in the ass.” She averts her gaze from me, contemplating something going on in her head.

  I’ve known her long enough to know all the facial expressions, her body language, Em and I would be an ideal fit if fucking someone like your sister appealed to me.

  “What’s up, Em?”

  “You received another video, didn’t you?”

  The fuck.

  My hands ball into fists because that was off my personal laptop and how in the hell would she know that?

  “From?” Em slowly trails her gaze back to me and no longer does she look as worried, she looks absolutely petrified.