Bryce
“Bryce, your uncle is on the line,” comes Amélie’s voice on the intercom.
I stop in the middle of reviewing a memo one of the junior associates drafted. “My uncle? Who?” There’s only one person who calls me at the firm and has the nerve to claim to be my uncle. But Ted Lasker has no business with me. The last I heard, he was busy trying to convince Aunt Jeremiah to sue some rival of his.
“Someone named Harvey Dunkel,” Amélie clarifies. “You never told me you had—”
“Five minutes.” Normally I’d decline, but it’s time to resolve the matter of “the gift” he gave my wife. I put him on speaker and lean back in my chair, my fingers steepled.
“You and Fiona are a stubborn pair,” he says, his voice gravelly.
“And you are a persistent pest.”
He snorts. “Is that how you speak to your uncle? Show some respect to your elders,” he chides me, although there’s no heat. He doesn’t expect me to give a shit about him or anybody from his side of the family.
“Earn it first,” I say flatly. “But first cash the fucking check!” I delivered it international express with tracking to his “official” address in Nesovia, and he sent itback.Twice. Bastard.
“Why do you insist on rejecting my gift?”
“Because inside the pretty wrapping is a ticking time bomb.”
“I’m not like your mother.”
I stiffen. “You want to use me—and Fiona—as much as she does. My wife doesn’t need to be indebted to anyone.”
“You don’t think I can be altruistic?” He sounds hurt, which only makes me want to laugh.
“No. If you had the chance, you would’ve killed your other brother before Mom could. You’re that kind of asshole.”
He ignores my jab. “What do you think I’ll ask for in return?”
“Don’t know and don’t care. Neither does my wife. You stay away from us, Harvey.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I can make things very difficult for you.”
He laughs. “You threatening to side withZoe?”
“Don’t think that’ll be necessary. But maybe I should just go ahead and visit Vincent on my own, and convince him to disown both of you. He’s gotta be sick of your antics by now, and I can help him draft the paperwork.”
A sharp edge slips underneath Harvey’s seeming bonhomie. “You think it’s easy to take over an operation as large and complex as what the family controls?”
“Can’t be any harder than dealing with you. Accept the check, Harvey, or I’m telling Vincent you abused my wife.”
“That’s a fucking lie!”
“One of many that have been told in this whole thing.” I hang up, then instruct Amélie to block all calls from Harvey.
I finish reviewing the document, then sigh. I don’t have anything to do. I should probably go home, but I keep hesitating. I hate it that I begged Fiona to kiss me, begged her for what little crumbs of affection she could spare.
Humiliation burns, and I resist an urge to tunnel my fingers into my hair and scream and kick. Just what the hell was I thinking? This was supposed to be about sex, not about me embarrassing myself. She made herself crystal clear when she dropped to her knees instead.
Too intimate. It’s almost like I like you.
I haven’t been able to bear facing her since then. How would she look at me? With pity and contempt, most likely. Her eyes would say,I didn’t know you could be so craven.
At the same time, I can’t stay away from her indefinitely. We share a home. We have rules.
