“I’m sorry, but what happened last night was an accident. I didn’t know who he was and I left before finding out why he was there.”
Evelyn stepped forward and set a hand on Cali’s arm. “We know. As intense as they’re being right now, they only want to know why their brother was in town. No one is blaming you for anything.”
Cali’s eyes widened as she looked at the people interrogating her. Blaming her? What would they blame her for? If anyone was going to be blaming anyone else, it should be her! “None of this matters,” she insisted. “Whether it was Rourke or not, that’s not what I’m here about. I wanted to give you notice that, effective immediately, I’m no longer working for DevX Tech. I appreciate all you’ve done for me but I think we can all agree that after the other night, some lines were crossed and it’s best that we end things now.”
Luke shook his head. “No. You can’t leave, Cali.”
“I can and I’m going to.”
“You belong here,” he insisted.
“You’re family to us, Cali. You know that,” added Michael.
She snorted. “Right. You two have a strange way of showing love. By keeping me in the same dead-end position for a decade and then using me to track down Easson.”
“They didn’t know you were being used,” said Evelyn.
Cali glared at her. “Not helping.”
“Just...take a few days,” said Luke. “Think this over and we can discuss it later in the week to see if you feel the same.”
Give it a few days? No. She knew her resolve was already shaky enough. If she waited longer, she’d be right back to square one. “I’m sorry, Luke. But I can’t wait around for you to let me go. If I do that, I’ll be your assistant forever.”
“And where are you going to go?”
She shrugged. “You know I can get another job in a heartbeat. I get offers all the time but I’ve always said no. I’ll just make a few calls and I’ll be in some other office by next week. An office that will put my experience and college degrees to work,” she added pointedly. She had enough in savings to get her through a month or two in the city. Maybe she’d take some time to travel. Relax. Really evaluate what she wanted over the next few years.
She’d always imagined her future was with the Devereaux brothers. That they’d see her worth and promote her accordingly. And, to their credit, they’d been generous with the raises and the well over six-figure income had kept her happy enough.
But she wanted to be a part of something, not just assisting it. She almost felt like a kept woman. Being paid to do something that she knew was below her. It had been worth it for the men she considered family. Who considered her family.
Not anymore.
Michael stepped forward. “If you want to leave, we can’t stop you.”
Cali let out a breath. Thank goodness, they weren’t going to keep fighting her on this.
“But we have one last job for you,” said Michael.
Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. “You can’t make me do anything else if I want to leave.”
“But I can offer you lots and lots of money.”
That had Cali’s attention. “What kind of lots of money?”
“I know you. I know your plan. Save two million and live off the interest. That was the dream, right? Your goal for retirement.”
She was quiet. It was her dream and not one she’d been all that quiet about. She made no secret of her desire to save up two million in investments and live off the interest and dividends. At five percent, she’d be making a hundred grand a year just for having the money set aside. That kind of income could keep her in a modest living for the rest of her life. And it was much more than her family had growing up.
“You’re offering me two million?” she asked, still skeptical.
“If you convince Rourke to come back to the family business, the money is yours,” said Michael.
Cali bit at her bottom lip. “Luke, did you know about this?”
Luke glanced at Michael. “No. But it’s true. You bring Rourke back to us, the money is yours.”
“Why do you need me? Just call him and ask him to come back.”
“Do you think we haven’t tried that?” said Michael. “We’ve been trying to talk sense into Rourke for years, but he hasn’t said more than two words to us. You, however, he connected with. You got through to him once. You just have to do it again.”
“I’m not sleeping with him.”
She was gratified by the pallor that came over Luke. “For fuck’s sake, we’re not asking you to do that. Just go talk to him. I have the address of where he’s been staying. See if he’ll talk to you. Open up. If it doesn’t work, that’s fine. We’ll even keep your salary coming as long as you’re working on it.”
“You aren’t worried I’ll just go on a month-long vacation to keep getting a salary?”
Luke looked her straight in the eye. “I’m not even a little bit worried about that.”
She let out a deep sigh. Well, shit. This hadn’t gone to plan at all. Cali rubbed at her temples and ran her fingers through her hair, but she wasn’t even contemplating saying no. Two million and she could do whatever she wanted. Work for a nonprofit. Travel. That would be her ticket to life on her terms.
She opened her eyes and realized everyone in the room stared at her. The entire family was pinning their hopes on her being able to talk sense into the long-lost brother who she’d only talked to for mere minutes. No pressure.
“Just give me his address,” she finally said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Cali tried to keep her eyes on the road, but it was hard as the gorgeous fall scenery flew by the window. The leaves were a mixture of bright yellows, oranges, and reds. The entire effect gave the landscape a rather dreamy effect.
Nothing like she’d see in the harsh environment of New York City. She’d been there so long now that she almost forgot what a true fall looked like. She supposed she never really had time to appreciate the beauty of it when she was younger. Fall was always a signal that winter was on its way, and that was her least favorite season of all.
Back then, the changing leaves were a sign of bad things coming.
She hoped that wasn’t the case anymore. Maybe now it was a sign of good things coming her way. Preferably two million good things coming her way.
She glanced at the GPS on her phone and saw that the next turn was still five miles up. It seemed as if she’d already been driving through the forests of Maine forever. It was strange to go so long without any sign of civilization, but she supposed a reclusive billionaire would go as far as possible away from people. She was half surprised he wasn’t out in the middle of the Arizona desert.
Now that would’ve been a boring drive.
She still had no idea what she was going to say when she saw Rourke. Hey, your kiss was fantastic—why don’t you come back to the city with me and reunite with your brothers? That was going to go over well.
It would help if she knew what had come between the men in the first place, but Luke and Michael had remained tight-lipped. They’d insisted it was in the past and didn’t matter for what she was trying to do.
Which told her one very important thing. Whatever happened, Michael and Luke were ashamed. Which meant it was really bad and they still felt bad about it to this day. So the job of getting Rourke to come to the city and reconcile was probably impossible.
But, hey, for two million dollars, she’d at least try.
She was kind of surprised Rourke wasn’t in Georgia. That was his childhood home and his family name was renowned in the whole county. But everyone knowing your name wasn’t exactly great for being reclusive.
Cali didn’t have time to deal with a melodramatic poor little rich boy. The outcome of his decision was going to affect the rest of her life, and she wasn’t going to take no for an answer if she could help it.
After another half an hour of driving, she finally reached the address that Luke had given her. She broug
ht the car to a stop a few yards away from the driveway and looked up at the house.
It wasn’t what she expected. She’d half thought Rourke would be living in some dilapidated mansion that was all dark and moody. But the historical Victorian was the exact opposite of dark and moody. The wooden siding was a bright white that was obviously well maintained. The wraparound porch had blue floorboards that added to the ocean atmosphere. She couldn’t see the water from the road but knew from looking at the maps that the house was on a bay.
The house was three stories tall and she had no idea whether there was a basement. Seemed rather large for one guy to have all to himself.
That was, assuming it was just one guy. Luke and Michael hadn’t seen or spoken to Rourke in years. What if he had a family here? A little wife and kids all living off of his old family money in this perfect little house on the ocean. Or a bay that fed into the ocean. Did that still count as ocean?
Well, it couldn’t be that happy of a family if he was making out with random women in the city. It would make for an awkward conversation if some housewife did answer the door, but she had handled more awkward conversations in her time with the Devereaux brothers.
She just needed to get up the nerve, walk up to the door and ring the bell. She could do this.
But her foot couldn’t manage to step on the gas pedal to bring her closer to the house.
That was fine. She could walk the rest of the way. No big deal. She’d had to entertain some of the most famous people in the city. She could handle this one guy. She stepped out of the car and put one foot in front of the other.
So what if her entire future depended on how this conversation played out? She could handle it. She’d dressed in her power heels and the jeans that made her legs look as if they went on forever and as if she actually had an ass. Her blouse was a soft black silk that went with her black boots and stood out against her blonde hair.
She paused as she reached the front of the house. The main door was painted the same cheery blue as the porch and was much more intimidating than the color suggested. As though it was daring her to approach and take her chances.
“Two million dollars,” she repeated as she forced herself to climb the steps. From the porch, she could just about see the water on the other side of the house. It looked as though the structure was built on the top of a hill, so it overlooked the bay.
Much more charming than her view from her second-story apartment. She just counted herself lucky that the man in the apartment across the street didn’t walk around naked all the time.
She cautiously leaned in closer to the door. She didn’t hear anyone inside, but there was a truck in the driveway, so there was probably someone there. Whether it was Rourke was still to be determined.
Taking a deep breath, Cali pushed her nerves back and knocked on the door three times. It was only then that she noticed the doorbell next to the door. Should she have rung that first? Growing up, she was so used to doorbells not working, she didn’t even think to look for one, and in the city, the intercom served as a bell.
The seconds ticked by and she wondered whether she should ring the bell. If she went in now, would it be too soon? She’d give it ten more seconds before she rang again. She didn’t want to come across as crazy.
But then the door was pulled open and Rourke Devereaux’s dark eyes were on her. He’d traded the formal suit for a pair of worn jeans, marked with random splotches of paints and tears that seemed completely authentic, and a red and gray flannel shirt with the top few buttons undone. The sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong forearms with a splattering of brown hair that dusted his arms and even the top of his chest.
“I had a feeling you’d be knocking on my door.”
Shit. Rourke had a feeling this was going to happen the moment he set hands on Cali, and now it was time to pay for his impulsive actions. “Didn’t take too long for you to track me down, did it?”
Cali squared her shoulders and met his eyes. This was a different woman from the one he’d met on Friday. She didn’t seem broken and crushed. She looked determined. As if she were about to eat him alive and not in the way he wanted.
“Mr. Devereaux. I thought it was time we were properly introduced.”
“I already know who you are, Ms. Carson. Though somehow I thought we were on less formal terms by now, seeing as how you felt me up just a few days ago.” She raised a brow and stared him down, not showing the slightest bit of reaction to him bringing up what had happened between them.
What a shame. She’d reverted right back into the cold, sterile corporate woman his brothers must have turned her into. The real person he’d met at Farrell’s party had been so much more interesting than the corporate drone standing in front of him.
Beautiful corporate drone, sure, but drone nonetheless.
“I admit that you caught me a bit by surprise on Friday, but I assure you I’m prepared for you now.”
He shot her a sideways grin. “Prepared for me how?” Finally there was some reaction as a pink flush filled her cheeks. At least she wasn’t one hundred percent robot.
“Prepared to talk to you on the same level. Because you knew who I was on Friday, didn’t you?” He didn’t deny it and she continued, “So why don’t you tell me exactly why you were checking up on your brothers.”
“I wasn’t checking up on my brothers at all. I didn’t even know they were going to be there.”
“Funny. I seem to remember you saying something about checking in on your family. And I don’t believe for one second that you didn’t know who I was when you followed me into that hallway. So please stop bullshitting me and let’s have a serious conversation.”
Rourke ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at Cali. He figured it was only a matter of time before Luke or Michael pulled something to get him back. He just thought they’d have the balls to talk to him themselves, not hide behind someone who had nothing to do with them. He stepped out of the house and onto the porch. The screen door swung shut behind him. Cali had to take a step back to accommodate him.
“My business in the city is my own. I was meeting someone who works with Walter Farrell and happened to see Luke there. And, just like always, he let me down again. I don’t know why they sent you here or what they promised you, but I can guarantee I’m not talking to your bosses any time soon.”
Instead of showing any sign of defeat, Cali looked more determined than ever. Her tall heels brought her almost to his height and she looked him right in the eye. “You sound like a melodramatic child.”
“I’m a melodramatic child who’s about to kick you off my property.”
She squared her shoulders. “I’m not leaving until we sit down and discuss this like normal adults.”
“I can carry you off my property.”
“I’m starting to wonder why Luke and Michael want to talk to you at all.”
He smiled at her. “I seem to remember you thinking I was damn charming not too long ago.”
“And I’ve been regretting my actions ever since,” she shot back.
“I’m giving you ten seconds to leave, before I take matters into my own hands,” he warned. She crossed her arms over her chest and he tried really hard to not see how the motion pushed her breasts up and together.
“No,” she said.
“No?”
“I told you. I’m not leaving until we have an honest conversation about what happened and about your family.”
“Okay.” With that, he bent down and tossed Cali over his shoulder.
As expected, she immediately started to scream a whole number of obscenities at him as she pounded at his back. “What the hell is wrong with you? Set me down right now or I swear to God I’ll—”
Rourke gave her a swift swat on her ass as he held her tighter against his shoulder. “I don’t care what you do as long as you do it off my property.”
“I’m going to get my lawyer on the phone so fast my lawsuit is going to destroy you and y
our stupid cottage until you have no choice to go back to your brothers,” she screamed into his back.
He rolled his eyes as he adjusted his grip, grabbing her thigh to hold her tightly against him. The weight was almost nothing in comparison to the loads he carried all the time, but he wasn’t used to his loads wiggling quite this much. Rourke reached the road and glanced in each direction. There were no other houses for a while and one small white sedan about two hundred yards away. He had no idea why she would park so far away, but he wasn’t putting her down until she was as close as possible to her car.
“I don’t know what lawyers you’re hiring, but I can promise you that mine are better.” That was a bit of a stretch. The only lawyers he’d ever met with were run-of-the-mill real estate guys, but he had a feeling his savings account could afford a much better one than the curvy blonde in his arms.
“You just wait!” she threatened. “I know people who could ruin you! I know people who could make you regret the day you were born!”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” he muttered. He gave her ass one more swat for good measure as he reached her car and bent forward, putting her feet back on solid ground. As he straightened, he took in Cali’s flushed face and tousled hair. But all that was overshadowed by the fury that shone through her clear blue eyes.
Good. He wanted her pissed. He wanted to get the point across that she, and her purpose, weren’t welcome here at his safe haven. “Now, if I see you on my property again, I’ll be calling the police, and trust me, you’d rather have me manhandling you than be led out in cuffs.”
“You’re a son of a bitch, Rourke Devereaux,” she said, not taking her angry gaze off him.
He leaned in close until his lips almost touched her. “That’s not what you said on Friday.”
Cali planted her palms on his chest and pushed him away. Rourke stayed, invading her personal space just long enough to prove that he was moving of his own volition and not because of her push. As he started to head back to his house, he shouted over his shoulder, “Remember what I said. I don’t want to see you back here again.”
Devereaux Billionaires Complete Series: Books 1-4 Page 53
