by Onley James
Gideon felt her words like a physical blow. Grant? This had been going on since Grant was alive? The FBI had said nothing of Grant’s involvement. Maybe they didn’t know. Maybe it didn’t matter now that Grant was gone. “Grant treated me like a child. I’ve always been more than capable of making my own decisions.”
She studied him closely. “Yes, I see that now. Truthfully, we already have somebody on the inside at your school.”
Suddenly, the pieces clicked into place like the tumblers in a lock.
“Foy,” Gideon said. Darren Foy was the head of Gideon’s department. The one who’d asked him to stand in for Leighton during his surgery. That was his school’s connection to Roosevelt.
Rosalind smiled. “You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”
“Surely, there must be some way I can help you? Just loop me in and we can all go back to being friends.”
For fuck’s sake, just tell me how all this works and speak into the fucking mic, so I can go home and get on with my life, you miserable hag.
“I’m afraid it’s a bit late for that. Foy knows all about your little prostitute boyfriend. There’s no getting around the fallout from that. Roger insisted after the last disastrous board meeting. You really should have just stopped fighting for the boy. Who cares if he goes to Harvard? If you’re anything like Grant, I’m sure you prefer him dependent on you. Boys are much easier to control when they have no other options. Believe me, I know. I’ve raised four of them.”
Gideon relaxed a bit. He needed Foy to know about Callum. He needed to be able to catch the man off guard. But nobody could know about that yet.
“I will get Cal back into whatever school he wants. You aren’t the only one with money and influence.”
“It’s not me. It’s Roger. When Cal got Harvard and Matteo didn’t, it set Roger off. He lost a fortune to your boy’s father, and now, his little bastard snatches Harvard from his oldest grandson. He won’t be happy until Callum Whyte is ruined.”
“Roger Koch is a tool. What does he even bring to the table besides money? A good chunk of which he’s lost, as you just stated. I have connections. Money. Influence. And something else none of you have… Street smarts. I grew up with gangbangers, bookies, and drug dealers. Screw Roger. Let me take his place. Explain to me how this operation works, and let me help you expand.”
Rosalind’s brows knitted together. “Why do you care? Why are you pushing this so hard?”
“Because I’ve lived in Grant’s shadow since I was twenty-one years old, and now, he’s gone and people are still treating me like a child. Grant left me his money and his seat on various boards and charities, but I’m still an outsider. You all still treat me like an outsider. You know that’s not what Grant wanted. Not really. He taught me how to blend in with your crowd. How to walk and talk like you, dress like you, behave like you. He taught me which fork to use and how to tie a necktie. Nobody will ever see me as one of you until somebody like you lets me have a real seat at the table.”
Rosalind examined Gideon’s face, and he was grateful she couldn’t see the hairs standing up on his arms. He had her. He knew he did. She was going to crack. Come on. Come on. Just fucking tell me.
She sighed. “I can’t help you with Roger. He’s a necessary evil, I’m afraid. But Foy’s set to retire soon. It’s only a matter of time. He’s not a young man. It would be smart to have his replacement lined up. He can start making inroads with the Dean now so you’ll be next in line.”
“Foy has that kind of pull with the Dean?” Gideon asked, genuinely surprised.
“The dean has some…peculiar…fetishes that he’d like to keep under wraps. He does what we want him to. It’s why Roger’s so certain he can have you ousted from the university on a morality clause.”
Gideon tucked that information away for later. “We all have our vices.”
“Yes. Yes, we do.”
Gideon leaned forward. “So, if I’m going to do this, I need to know everything. Where do we start?”
Rosalind gave him one more hard look. “I suppose we start at the beginning.”
Gideon could do nothing but sit and listen as Rosalind dismantled a scheme that went far deeper than Gideon could ever have imagined, deeper than possibly even the agents listening had ever guessed. At the heart of it all was Tri-State and a billion dollar scam that proved just how far the rich were willing to go to keep their privilege and the scales tipped in their favor.
When Rosalind finished it was close to dawn. Gideon stood, allowing the older woman to walk him to the door. “I’ll call Foy and tell him to disregard Roger and the scandal with your boy. You just need to do your part. Get him to forget Harvard. I’ll happily call my connections with the other schools and smooth it all over as a misunderstanding.”
“Do me a favor. Don’t call Foy just yet. I want to talk to him myself. We have some things to work out first, if that’s alright with you.”
Rosalind smiled. “Of course, dear. If that’s what you want.”
He leaned down, placing a kiss on her cool, pale cheek. “Thank you, Rosalind. You have no idea how much your trust means to me.”
Once her door closed behind him, he whistled a tune as he made his way towards the elevator. As he rode the elevator down, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and grinned. “Did you get all that, boys? One down, one to go.”
Gideon slipped into bed just as the sun was coming up. Cal snuggled into him. “You smell weird. Like cigarettes and potato chips. Where’d you go?”
Cal hadn’t slept since he’d felt Gideon slip from bed at midnight, but he’d laid there with Alexa, wondering if Gideon’s disappearance was all part of this covert master plan to get Cal back into Harvard.
Gideon chuckled. “I told you, I can’t tell you everything just yet, but it’s all going to be okay.”
“You keep saying that,” Cal mumbled, inexplicably cranky.
Gideon kissed the top of Cal’s head. “And I mean it. You’ll be back on Harvard’s roster in a week or so, and you’ll get to have everything you wanted.”
Not everything. Gaining back Harvard meant losing nights with Gideon, which felt like losing everything. “Let me guess, you flew to Boston and slept with Harvard’s admissions counselor.”
“You figured me out.” Gideon laughed. “He smells like nicotine and potato chips.”
“Ew,” Cal said as he unbuttoned Gideon’s pants and slid his hand into his boxers. Cal wrapped a hand around Gideon’s soft cock, only then thinking to ask, “Why are you in bed with all your clothes on?”
“Because I have a meeting with the dean and my department head in approximately one hour, so it didn’t seem like I should get too comfortable.”
Gideon didn’t stop Cal from toying with him, lazily stroking and squeezing him until he was hard in Cal’s grip.
“Why do you have to meet with them?” Cal asked, biting at Gideon’s chin and throat.
“Well, most likely because they think they’re going to fire me.”
Cal’s heart sank, but then he frowned. “They think they are?”
“Mm,” Gideon said, noncommittal, before catching Cal’s mouth for a kiss. “Alright, little bird. Up and at ‘em. We have just enough time for you to take a shower with me before I have to go.”
Gideon rolled out of bed, and Cal followed, looking at Alexa who sat in her dog bed. “What about her walk?”
“I took her out before I got into bed. She’ll be good until we finish.”
Gideon said they’d have time for a shower, but, apparently, what he meant was they’d have just enough time for sex in the shower, something they’d yet to try. The moment they were both naked beneath the water, Gideon pulled Cal back against him, his hard cock pressing against Cal’s ass. Gideon bit Cal’s shoulder, his throat, his ear, his soapy hands far more interested in teasing Cal’s nipples than actually cleaning his body.
Cal loved the feel of Gideon’s rough hands on his body. He’d miss showering with Gideo
n, eating dinner with him, cooking with him, waking up beside him, just having his arms around him. Everything. He was going to miss everything about Gideon. The idea of being away from him caused a physical ache in his chest. It hardly seemed fair that he had to choose between the thing he’d wanted since birth and a love he didn’t think even existed for somebody like him.
By the time Gideon worked his cock into Cal’s body, his arms wrapped around Cal from behind, Cal could only cling to him, far more interested in savoring the feel of Gideon claiming him than actually getting off. He didn’t want to forget this moment, the smell of Gideon’s expensive soap that smelled like teakwood and tobacco, the feel of his heated skin pressed against him, the delicious ache of fullness when Gideon was inside him.
Cal sucked in a breath as Gideon fisted Cal’s wet hair, dragging him from his thoughts. “Where’d you go? Don’t disappear on me.”
Cal let his eyes fall closed, his blunt nails digging into the arm across his chest. “I’m here, Daddy. Right here.”
Gideon wrapped his free hand around Cal’s cock, jerking him in time with his thrusts. Cal’s head fell back, pushing all thoughts of the future away and just enjoying the feel of Gideon’s hand and cock and the sound of his breath panting in Cal’s ear. It didn’t take long for him to come after that. Gideon always knew exactly how to get Cal off.
After their shower, Cal pulled on shorts and a t-shirt and snuggled on the bed with Alexa as he watched Gideon dress for his mysterious meeting. He always looked sexy, but nobody wore a suit better than Gideon. Nobody. His pants clung to his ass and thighs in a way that made Cal want to touch him, and his white dress shirts always looked crisp and cool against his deep tan. Gideon always chose his clothing carefully and cared for each piece like it would be the only one he’s given. His vest, his tie, his jackets were all custom made from the finest materials and tailored to fit his body like a glove, but Cal just wanted to peel it all off him and force Gideon to come back to bed.
Cal’s orgasm had temporarily halted his plummeting mood, but it was back now and sinking faster than ever. He couldn’t shake the feeling he was losing something. Gideon seemed more sure than ever that everything was going to go exactly as he wanted, but Cal was certain Gideon always felt that way. People didn’t tend to tell Gideon no, Cal imagined. He wanted to trust Gideon’s prediction that all would be well, but he felt like, even if Gideon handed Cal Harvard, he’d still lose because Alexa and Gideon would be miles away.
Gideon sat beside Cal on the bed. “You are very broody this morning, little bird. What’s wrong?”
Cal shrugged. They didn’t have time to get into it. Gideon needed to leave soon. Besides, what was Cal going to say? Thanks for sacrificing everything for me, but I’m depressed because I’m getting everything I’ve ever wanted? Talk about being selfish. “I’m just…tired, I guess.”
Cal could tell from Gideon’s expression that he didn’t believe him. “We’re going to talk about this when I get back. Do you hear me?”
Cal sighed but nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”
Gideon gave him a chaste kiss and scratched Alexa’s head, and then he was gone, leaving Cal to bounce around the empty loft. After thirty minutes, he was crawling out of his skin, feeling like the brick walls were closing in on him. He rolled off the bed, lacing up his sneakers and grabbing Alexa’s ball. “Come on, girl. Let’s go play outside.”
Alexa bounded off the bed, her tiny nub of a tail wagging hard enough to shake her whole back half. Cal couldn’t help but smile. Alexa looked so scary with her short muscular body and her scarred face, but she was really the sweetest girl. Whoever had hurt her was a monster. He didn’t bother grabbing her leash. They were only going out back. The other tenants in the building tolerated Cal, but they adored Alexa. Even the crotchety ones usually would bend down to give her a head scratch and tell her she was a pretty girl. The doormen always kept treats in their pockets just for her. She was like the building's unofficial mascot.
Cal took Alexa out the back entrance, bypassing the parking garage for the staircase that led to the empty, overgrown lot next door. The hard packed dirt mixed with gravel and pockmarked with weeds didn’t hold much curb appeal. Gideon said they were planning on developing the lot soon and turning it into some swanky restaurant, but, for now, it was Cal and Alexa’s ugly little playground. It wasn’t fenced, but Alexa had no interest in anything but the ball in Cal’s hand and there was never anybody else out there. Alexa was so eager, Cal had to hold the ball high or she’d try to snatch it from his hand before he threw it. She had a one track mind when it came to fetch.
As soon as they were far enough away from the building to avoid damage, Cal lobbed the ball, watching as it sailed into the scrub bushes that lined the gravel lot. Alexa disappeared for a minute before bounding back out with the ball in her mouth, racing to Cal and dropping it at his feet. He laughed as she sat at his feet, smiling. She was ridiculous.
Cal flung the ball again and again until his arm ached and Alexa was panting hard. Still, she didn’t seem interested in stopping, so he threw the ball once again. She found the ball but stopped at the edge of the bushes. Cal frowned until he saw her squat to use the bathroom. He laughed, turning away from her only to feel like he’d been hit by a brick as his nose exploded, blood gushing into his mouth and down his chin, his eyes watering. He didn’t fall, but he stumbled. Before he could get his bearings, another blow landed on his cheek. He held his hand out, rapidly blinking tears from his eyes, trying to get sight of his attacker.
Matteo. “You fucking ruined everything, you little bitch. Why couldn’t you just accept defeat and live off your sugar daddy? It’s not like you even need Harvard or that scholarship. You found the one guy your shithead father didn’t bankrupt.”
Cal struggled to stay on his feet. “And you do? Your dad owns a fucking fleet of yachts. You’ve spent entire summers in Ibiza and Rio. What do you care where you go to school? You certainly never gave a shit the last three years when you were getting hammered at parties while I was studying.”
Matteo made a noise of frustration. The other boy’s eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn’t slept in days, and he staggered, like he was the one who’d just been hit twice in the face. “Don’t you fucking get it? We don’t own anything since your dad fleeced mine. We’re living off my grandfather’s money, and he’s talking about cutting my dad off thanks to yours. He said my father’s too foolish with his money and wants to give him an allowance. How the fuck did you get Harvard and I didn’t? I was a sure thing. I scored 1500 on my SATs,” Matteo said without skipping a beat, just voicing every thought in some stream-of-consciousness-ramble.
Cal’s head pounded, and he could feel his heartbeat in his definitely broken nose. “Yeah, and I scored 1540. Do you really think I’m what kept you out of Harvard? You get that we’re not the only two fucking people who applied, right? I worked really fucking hard to get into that school. You thought you could count on your daddy’s money. Too bad your dad didn’t know what I did, which is you should never count on my father for shit.”
“You ruined my life,” Matteo shouted, shoving Cal hard enough to send him falling on his ass. Gravel tore at the palms of his hands, but before he could move, a booted foot connected with Cal’s stomach, displacing both his insulin pump, his glucose monitor, and his breakfast, which he heaved onto the ground beside him.
Matteo started to laugh. A malicious growl came from the bushes. “What the fuck?”
“Alexa, no,” Cal cried, but she was moving faster than Cal had ever seen, her muscular legs hauling her towards Matteo like she was going to eat him alive. She could. She could latch on and possibly kill him, and then they’d take her away from Cal and put her to sleep.
Matteo took off running. “Call off Cujo, man.”
Cal got himself up, running after both of them, leaving his pump and monitor behind in the dirt. He tried to close the distance but they both had too good of a head start. Cal’s heart rate shot up as
Matteo made it out of the lot, past the sidewalk and into the street.
“Alexa!” Cal screamed, but she wasn’t listening. She was growling and barking, hot on Matteo’s heels, determined to catch her prey. Matteo made it to the other side of the street, but Alexa followed straight into the path of an oncoming car.
“No!”
Tires screeched as the driver slammed on his breaks, the smell of rubber burning Cal’s nostrils, but it was too late. Cal’s stomach lurched at the thud Alexa’s body made as it hit the grill of the car and tumbled through the street, landing in a heap at Cal’s feet.
All thoughts of Matteo and the injuries he’d inflicted disappeared as Cal gathered Alexa into his arms. He gave a sob of relief as she gazed up at him in confusion. She was alive. Alive but hurt. Blood ran from her nose just as it did from his.
The man who hit her suddenly crouched down beside him. “I’m so sorry. She just came out of nowhere.”
“I know. I… I need to get her to a hospital.”
The guy was dressed in a suit and tie, like he was on his way to work, but he shoved a hand through his hair and glanced at his BMW idling in the street. “Fuck it. I’ll give you a ride. Do you know where there’s an animal clinic?”
Desmond. “Yeah. Actually, I do.”
Cal climbed into the backseat of the stranger’s car, Alexa’s head cradled in his lap. Her breathing was labored, but she didn’t cry. Something about that made it all seem so much worse. Cal pulled his phone free and called Des, leaving him a message to let him know they were on the way. He didn’t call Gideon. He was in that meeting. He’d call once they were at the hospital, just so Gideon didn’t worry.
Cal stroked Alexa’s silky head, using his shirt to clean the blood from her fur. “Please don’t die on me. Please.”
“How could you be so reckless?” Foy asked. “I sent you there because I figured you were the least likely to embarrass me, and then you go and sleep with a student? A high school student. This is a PR nightmare.”
