“For the spiders and the venom? Given that these spiders contain venom that can cure cancer, we will open the bidding at $20 billion,” Ava stated confidently.
The doctors’ eyes widened in disbelief. Robert nearly choked on the water he was drinking. “Are you out of your minds? That’s out of the question.” Robert’s face turned bright red.
Ava shrugged. “Then we will take our specimens to another company or better yet, another country. I hear that Russia may be quite interested in what I have to offer.”
“You’re bluffing. You don’t have any contacts with Russian drug companies.”
Ava laughed. “You do know who were are, don’t you? Ashler Blackthorne had a great deal of influence with the Russian mafiya. I think that will open a lot of doors for us there.”
“Ashler Blackthorne died in 2015. Times have changed.”
Where my father was concerned, I had no discretion. I was tired of listening to what Ava succinctly referred to as ‘bullshit’. “We are his children. We are continuing his legacy. I will not sit here and have you impugn his name, do you understand me?” I pounded my fist on the table so hard the specimen jars shook. The yellow venom sloshed inside the vial. “Gentlemen, the opening bid is $20 billion considering that you will likely make ten times that amount is undeniable. This money is to compensate us for the risks we took getting these spiders. Not only was the trip perilous to us, but we suffered a plane crash which took the life of our pilots.”
The doctors and Robert conferred once more. “We are prepared to offer you $5 billion not a penny more.” Robert stated emphatically.
“$9 billion,” I countered.
Ava shot me a warning look.
I ignored her. Negotiation was my forte.
“$6 billion.”
“$8 billion.” I adored negotiation. These clowns didn’t know who they were dealing with. If they wouldn’t acquiesce to our demands, then we would contact my father’s old friend, Yuri Romanov in Moscow. He was a vor in the Russian mafiya. Still, being a former Navy lieutenant, I had a strong sense of patriotism. I wanted my own country to have the rights to this drug.
“$7 billion and that’s our final offer.” Robert folded his arms.
Perfect. That’s the number we imagined they would finally offer us.
“My attorneys will forward you the paperwork. We’ll meet next week same time here to sign everything.” I stood up from the table pleased it had gone so well.
“Not so fast, Ash.” Ava’s voice was stern. The room felt overwhelmingly stuffy. The doctors continued to sit quietly as Robert spoke.
“What else, Miss Blackthorne?”
“How do we know that you’re going to use the spiders and their venom for the benefit of mankind? How do we know you’re using them for good?”
The doctors looked about the room. Robert cleared his throat. “What we use them for is none of your concern. Once you sign these papers, then the spiders become ours. You will detail a map directing us to precisely where you found them.”
Ayden frowned. “That’s not good enough. I didn’t risk my life for just money. I wanted something good to come of this. I wanted to be able to help people.”
“It’s not your concern. If you want the money, you’ll sign the papers. Otherwise, you can take your business elsewhere.” Robert stood up.
The doctors appeared shocked. I could tell they were hungry to get their hands on the spiders.
I knew by the tone of his voice they had no intention of helping anyone. I wanted the venom to help others as well, but if they weren’t willing to do that, I didn’t know what else we could do. We could take the spiders and venom to the Russians, but I doubted they would use it for what it was intended for. Besides, Ayden wasn’t going to leave here until he got their word that they would use the venom for the good of mankind.
Unless I used the one bargaining chip that gave him back what he so desperately wanted. “Gentlemen, could we speak to Robert alone?” I addressed the doctors.
They gathered their belongings and left the room eyeing us suspiciously.
Ava studied me as I spoke to Robert.
“Level with us. You’re going to fucking bury this, aren’t you?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
His mouth turned down as he nodded. “We don’t have a choice. This could be the medical miracle of the century, but the big drug companies will pull all our funding. Something like this could put them out of business. They will lose billions of dollars. Something this big could literally sink the economy. Jobs will be lost. People will lose their homes, their livelihoods. So we’re offering you money to go away.”
“That’s bullshit!” Ayden slammed his fist on the table. “We’re taking these specimens to Russia.”
Ava and I grabbed his arm. “Not yet, Ayden. As much as it upsets me, I will allow you to keep the specimens if you do one thing for us.” Ava’s fingers dug into his arm.
“No, Ava.” Ayden reached for the vials.
I slapped his arm.
“What is that?” Robert asked, rubbing his temples.
“Our brother here committed a crime last year. We need a guarantee he will never face prosecution for it.” I surveyed their faces.
They all looked to Robert.
Ayden’s face went pale. He leaned back slowly.
“Is that all? I can make some calls. I don’t know what he did, but unless he tried assassinating the president, I can get it fixed for you. I’ll have the papers drawn up.”
I looked at Ava and Ayden for approval.
She nodded readily.
Ayden looked doubtful.
I could tell he was weighing his own freedom with the possibility of helping others.
I knew what side would win. He was a Blackthorne after all. “It’s fine with me,” he mumbled. “But I still want to go on record stating my goal was for this to help people.”
Duly noted, I thought. As much as it sickened me to have something so valuable denied to sick people, we all signed the papers.
As we walked out, Ava pinched my side. “Look,” she hissed. Indeed, there was in her pocket two small vials containing venom. “You don’t think I’d give them everything, did you? Now Ayden is free and we’re $7 billion dollars richer.”
“What the hell are you going to do with that, Ava?” Ayden was shocked as he looked at the vials.
“You’ll see.”
One Hundred Four
Ayden
After the meeting with Global Medical Management, I was happy to get back to normal. Ava had secured my freedom so I was thrilled to buy a house near Ash and Amber. Having Reese move in with me was everything I ever wanted, but then that meant Ava was going to find out. Her reaction though surprised me.
“You and Reese are moving in together?” She’d stopped by one afternoon while I was unpacking.
I guessed that Reese had broken the news to her. “Yes, Ava. I love her.”
A slow grin spread across her face. “I know. I’m glad to hear that.”
I did a double take. What? She was the one who didn’t want us together in the first place. I had been ready for a major confrontation.
She twirled her key ring around her finger. “Forbidden fruit is the sweetest. I had a wild hope in you, Ayden, that you would be the one to tame her.”
“So you planned for us to fall in love?” I asked in disbelief.
“I had hopes, that’s all.” Ava smirked.
At that moment, Reese walked into the living room carrying a box. She dropped it the moment she saw Ava. “Is everything okay here?” she asked looking from me to Ava.
“It’s fine, baby girl.” Ava threw her arms around her. “Congratulations.”
Reese’s eyes widened. “I thought that—you didn’t want us together.”
“Baby Girl, you know I’m always working an agenda. I thought by playing reverse psychology it would work between you two. As usual, I was right.” She grinned.
Indeed, she was.
The
next few weeks were so blissful they flew by.
Autumn had come early to the Northeast bringing brightly colored leaves raining down in the winds. Reese was out getting a manicure and massage as I sat at my computer typing my story. Ash and I were writing about our trip to Egypt. He and Amber thought it would make a terrific adventure novel. I was right in the middle of writing a dramatic scene when a sharp knock came at my door. As I swung the door open, I found myself standing face to face with my recent past.
“What are you doing here?” I asked when I had managed to regain my composure.
The pretty young woman before me stood wrapped in a light jacket her long brown hair blowing softly in the breeze. “We need to talk.”
I stepped aside and allowed her into my home. “Sasha, how have you been? You look beautiful.” I gestured for her to sit on the leather couch in the living room. The day was turning chilly and I’d turned on the fireplace.
“I’m good, great actually. I’m glad to see you’re free from your ‘problem’ with Amber’s brother.” She smiled shyly.
“Yes, I’m so grateful my sister and brother could help me out. I’d like to say what happened with him was a mistake, but I’m not sorry. He was a horrible person and got what he deserved.”
Her cheeks were glowing pink and her makeup was more subtle. Something was different about her. I gave her a long look. She’d definitely gained weight. Her face was much fuller. I didn’t know what to say.
“Ayden, I have something to confess. I’m not here for an update. I’m here because I thought you should know something.”
“What is that?”
Sasha stood up and opened her coat revealing a large bulge in her middle.
My mouth fell open.
“Pregnant. Yes, I am.”
My mind was reeling as I fell back into the recliner. The room stood still as I simply stared at her. It couldn’t be mine. I hadn’t been with her in nearly five months!
“It’s yours.”
My mouth went dry. My throat felt painful and I couldn’t swallow. “How? I haven’t seen you since—?”
“—February. It makes sense, believe me, I calculated it. I’m almost five months along.”
“Why didn’t you—I mean, why are you coming to me now?”
She laughed fiddling with the buttons on her coat. “You were kind of hard to find the last few months. You’ve been out of the country.”
“Yes, I went to Egypt with Ash and my sister, Ava.”
She nodded as if she knew the whole story already.
How could she? Unless…“How did you find my house? Did you hire a PI?”
Her dark eyes looked away as she unconsciously rubbed her middle. “Yes, I did,” she admitted looking slightly ashamed.
“Look, Sasha, this is a complete shock. I’m sorry I didn’t contact you when I came back, but I’m—”
“You have a girlfriend,” she filled in.
“She’s wonderful. Her name is Reese. I think she’s my soulmate.”
As her face paled, I rushed to get her a glass of water.
“I’m happy for you then.” She took the glass taking a sip of the water before placing it onto the table. She ran her hands through her long hair.
“I’m sorry that it didn’t work out for us. At the time, it looked as though I’d be in that tiny cabin for the rest of my life. I didn’t think it was fair to you to make you suffer through that with me. You deserve a chance at a life with a man by your side one who can love you and take care of you.” I placed my hand over hers.
Her eyes became watery and she sniffled several times. I handed her a tissue. “Thank you. I didn’t come here today to mess up your life. I didn’t come here to re-insert myself in your life either, but I thought you should know about your children.”
“Children? There’s more than one?” I asked astonished.
“Yes, I’m carrying twins. A boy and a girl. That’s why I’m as big as a damned house.” She laughed.
“No, you’re not. You look amazing.” I smiled stunned beyond belief. I was going to be a father of twins? “Thank you for telling me. And yes, I’ll be there for you and our babies. I can provide you with the best medical care. Where are you living now?”
“I have a place in the city. It’s not much, but it’s comfortable.” She smiled.
“I insist on buying you a house out here. I’d like you and the babies to be close to me.”
She blushed shaking her head. “I can’t let you do that. I’m not here looking for a handout. I just wanted you to know about the baby. I would’ve told you sooner, but you were gone. I couldn’t find you.”
I ran my hands through my thick hair. I wondered if our babies would have my hair or hers? What would their eyes look like? Would they be stubborn like me? Strong like Sasha? Fuck. How was I going to tell Reese? “Reese,” I murmured her name.
“What?”
“My girlfriend. I was thinking of how I was going to tell her about you and the baby.”
Sasha stood up. “I should go. I’m sorry. I feel like I’ve thrown a wrench into your life. I loved you, Ayden. I—I still do.”
I grabbed her arm. “No, stay, please. I want to help. What about you? Have you been seeing anyone since we split up?”
She shook her head. “How can I be dating when I’m pregnant with twins? Kind of turns a lot of guys off.”
I swallowed hard. “Of course. That was a stupid question. You caught me off guard. I’m at a loss right now.”
Sighing deeply, Sasha pulled her jacket around her.
Outside, night was beginning to fall and Reese would be home shortly. I dreaded having to tell her.
“Put your number in my phone. We’ll talk tomorrow. Give you a chance to absorb all this.” Sasha handed me her phone.
Quickly, I punched my number in and she tossed the phone into her purse.
“You look good, Ayden, you really do. I’m sorry to spring all this on you. I know it’s a lot to take in.”
Walking her to the door, I was still finding myself searching for the right words. I was going to be a father! I was stunned, surprised, and thrilled.
Scared as shit too.
“You do, too. Call me tomorrow and we’ll talk, okay?” I touched her shoulder briefly. She smiled.
“I will.”
“Who was that?” Reese asked as she breezed into the house. Her nails were painted a light pink shade. Her long hair had been recently highlighted and was a lighter shade of blonde.
Realizing she must’ve seen Sasha’s car leaving our private drive, I braced myself for the confrontation. “Sit down, baby.” Walking to the bar, I poured us both a drink. “Here.” I handed her the tumbler.
She looked worried. “What is it? Who was here?”
I threw back the liquor. I was trembling. I didn’t know how to tell her. What would she do? “That was my ex-girlfriend, Sasha.”
Reese stared at me in disbelief. She swirled the drink around in the glass. “How did she find us? Why was she here?”
“She hired a PI. She had something to tell me.”
Reese bit her lower lip and narrowed her eyes at me. “Why would she do that? What did she tell you?”
I sighed leaning forward clasping my hands together. “There’s no easy way to tell you this. She’s pregnant with twins. My twins.”
Reese gasped and fell back against the couch. Her drink spilled to the floor. “No, she’s not,” Reese insisted.
“Yes, baby, she is.”
“How do you know? You said she was a party girl. They could be someone else’s.”
Shaking my head, I lit a cigarette.
“They’re not yours, Ayden. She just wants to shake you down. She’s down on her luck and needs money.”
I exhaled the smoke. The thought had crossed my mind, but I knew Sasha. She wasn’t one to lie about something so serious. “Baby, I’m sorry. Look, this doesn’t change a thing about us. I love you. What I had with her is long over. I told her I wanted
to be a part of the twins’ lives. I want us to be part of the twins’ lives.”
Reese’s face went pale. She bit her lip as her eyes misted. “No, no, no. I can’t—my God, I can’t.” Reese tapped her hand on her leg.
“Of course, you can, baby. It’s going to be okay.” I crushed the cigarette in the ashtray before wrapping my arms about her.
“You—you—don’t get it.” Her voice trembled as she sobbed.
“What?”
“I tried to have a baby with my ex-husband. It never happened. I was checked out. He was checked out. There wasn’t anything wrong with either of us, but we tried for five years.”
“How come you never told me?” I stroked her hair.
“I didn’t want to lose you. I knew you probably wanted children, but I can’t have any.” Her sobbing became uncontrollable as she collapsed in my arms.
“Did you think I wouldn’t love you anymore? I adore you, Reese. Nothing you could say or do would keep me from you.”
She drew her face away from me. She sniffled hard. “I remember taking pregnancy test after test. I remember reading every single book I could get my hands about infertility. We tried. I tried. After about a year, I had a positive pregnancy test. I was elated. Words can’t describe how happy I was. I took another one just to be sure. It was positive too. I danced through the house. I ran out and bought several outfits for a newborn. My husband was ecstatic too, even though he already had two children from his previous marriage.”
“From the woman he murdered?” I muttered.
“Yes. But I was so happy, finally I was going to have the child I’d so wanted. Then one day it was gone.” Reese’s face was blotchy and red from crying. Her eyes were swollen.
“What do you mean gone?”
She spread her hands wide. “Just gone. Phantom pregnancy, they sometimes call it. Basically, what they think happened was the embryo wasn’t viable. There was something wrong with the baby.” She looked down.
I could see the pain in her eyes. How I wished I could erase that pain for her. “Did you miscarry? What did the doctors say?”
Darkest Sin Page 84
