“Hi, Art.”
“Happy Birthday, Ava.”
“Thank you. Did you buy me a gift?”
“No.”
Women expecting romance from me are in for a rude awakening. I’m incapable of offering them anything, except one night of dick. The one person I gave my heart to betrayed me. It still hurts like it was yesterday. After leaving North Carolina, I spiraled into a black abyss—instigating fights, drinking, using cocaine, and cutting again. Then my brother was born, becoming my salvation. I wanted to do better for him, so I went to rehab and got my shit together. Mason is five now. He looks just like our mother with his strawberry-blond curls and hazel eyes. I have no idea where I would be if it weren’t for him. Revenge against Cin receded to the back of my mind.
“Are you up for a rendezvous later?”
“No.”
“Okay, maybe next time.”
“Not likely.”
Tears pool in her eyes before she flees.
“Damn, man. That’s cold.” Josh laughs.
“Ava knew what she was getting into.”
“It’s her birthday. You could’ve made an exception just once in your controlled life.”
“My rules are in place for a reason.”
“You created the rules, which means you can break them.”
“Your redhead is talking to another man. You better go stake your claim or you won’t be getting any of her fire crotch tonight.”
“I’ll talk to you later.” He rushes from the table.
Josh has been in Florida for the last three weeks for “cousin bonding” as he calls it. I hope he goes back to Vegas soon. He’s a real pain in the ass. Since Josh’s dream of football stardom was crushed due to his leg break, he chose to join the family business. Ricky was pissed since he assumed Josh would work with him on the sweet potato farm, but he refused. To ensure the successful expansion of the hotel chain, Josh and I decided to let go of the past. Besides, Cin is to blame for the events that transpired. I’m in charge of the Falcon hotels on the East Coast while Josh takes the lead on the West Coast. A few years ago, we opened the first international location in Paris. Since then, we’ve launched locations in Sydney, Rome, Dubai, and a few other places—boosting us to billionaire status. The old man oversees those operations. Some hotels are franchised, but we own most of them.
My eyes scan over tonight’s pickings when the old man steps into my line of vision. He arrived in Orlando yesterday morning to make an appearance at the party. Thank God he’s going to Boston tomorrow evening. I can only handle him in small doses before I go the fuck off.
“Arthur, what did you say to Ava? She’s in the restroom with her mother, crying her eyes out.”
“I declined her invitation to fuck again. She’ll get over it.”
“She’s a sweet girl. You should give her a real chance.”
“If you think she’s so sweet, then you fuck her.”
“How dare you?” he sputters.
“Oh, I dare that and so much more.” I flash my teeth at him. “Get out of my way. I’m searching for my next fuck.”
He stomps away.
The ring tone I assigned to Mason blasts from my cell phone.
“What’s going on, munchkin?”
“When are you coming home?”
I have sole physical and legal custody of my brother. My father died from a second stroke when Mason was two, liberating my mother from monthly allowances and leaving her a millionaire. She left Mason on my doorstep and moved abroad, which is fine by me, but I hate to see my little brother hurt. The older he gets, the more he asks about her. Mason has questions about his father too, but she hasn’t disclosed who he is.
