“I can’t help it,mon coeur1. I’m busy.” He sighs, kissing the back of her hand tenderly. “I’ll make it up to you.”
I laugh and urge them to follow me. Once Francesca is a couple feet ahead, I shoot my brother a glance that means urgent personal business. His brows furrow, but he gets the message immediately. After dropping Francesca off at their place with their suitcases, Bellami and I head back to his office.
***
The room is so silent, it’s deafening, and I have to tell him about yesterday, or I’ll die. “I met Aoi last night.”
He barely lifts his head to glance at me, completely unbothered. “Who? Ah, that aspiring author with whom you were so infatuated?” He chuckles, boredly. “What about him?”
“Don’t use the past tense, you bastard. Istilllove him.” I release a grumble, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring him down. “I think he’s rather successful now, considering he was at Frank’s party last night.”
He rolls his eyes and leans back in his leather chair. “Please, you cannot be serious. What’s so special about that man for you to be so head over heels? Get over it already. It’s beeneightyears.”
“He’s special, okay? But that’s beside the point. What I’m trying to say is that I intend to pursue him, and you better not get in the fucking way this time.” I point at him. “Got it?”
A warning.
If he dares cross me, he’ll lose his precious brother, and this time it’ll be for good. There’s nothing he can do to stop me from slamming the door in his face and walking out on him.
Bellami’s gaze narrows on me. “Get in the way? Listen, our circumstances have changed since that time. You can do whatever you want now and stick your dick in whomever you wish.”
I grimace in disbelief. “You-”
“Butif you harm the Lacroix name or bring shame to this company, I’ll kill you with my own two hands. Deal?”
The floor-to-ceiling window behind him gives him an intimidating air, and I swallow past the lump in my throat. The New York City landscape truly is amazing, but we both know he’ll return to France once he’s done managing whatever he’s got going on here.
“Yeah.” I smile, satisfied. “Thanks.”
I turn around and head toward the massive obsidian doors, but his authoritative voice stops me. “Where are you going?”
“To investigate his whereabouts?”
Bellami stares at me, dumbfounded, seemingly wanting to disown me right here and now.
Instead, he sighs, exasperatedly. “Ask Linda to write you a report then. I’m going to have to make some calls.”
I don’t bother listening to his mumbling and fly out of the office faster than a private jet. Nothing is more important than reconnecting with Aoi. And for that to even happen, I have to find out his schedule and what he’s been up to these past years.
I pull out my phone and dial Bellami’s secretary’s number. “Hi, Linda, sorry to bother you, but could you do me a favor?”
“Of course, sir. Is Mr. Lacroix aware of your request?” she answers, her voice tight and polite.
“He told me to call you.”
I hear typing on the other end of the phone until she finally says, “What can I do for you?”
“I need you to find out everything you can about Aoi Holden and report back to me, thank you.”
“Yes, sir.”
On these words, I hang up, a shit-faced grin plastered on my lips as I head home.
I have a lot of planning to do in order to ‘coincidentally’ bump into him and askhim out.
9
Aoi
