“Yes, sir.” Hat in his hand, the driver paused to meet Alexander’sgaze.
“Tell your girl that you’ll take her out for a nice dinner—on me—over theweekend.”
Thomas stammered his gratitude, but Alexander stopped him. “Don’t thank me yet. I need you to get me to the airport tomorrow by 6:00 a.m. Elizabeth’s flight lands then, and I want to be there to pick herup.”
With a smile, Thomas nodded. “I’ll be ready at five,sir.”
Later that night, Alexander sat in his living room sipping an eighteen-year-old Macallan. The door shook as someone banged insistently, rang the doorbell, then banged again. He’d already dismissed the staff for the night, so he trudged down the front hallhimself.
His brother stood on the doorstep, wrapped in a camel-colored wool coat. Snow fell steadily, giving the street an eerily calmfacade.
Alexander stepped aside. “Nicholas, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?” He tried to keep his tone friendly, but he’d spent most of the past two days dancing around his brother’s schedule so he wouldn’t have to answer any questions about Elizabeth orCPH.
His brother entered silently, divested himself of his coat, gloves, and hat, and then arranged everything precisely on the arm of one of the sofas. “Got any more of that scotch?” Nicholasasked.
Once he had his own drink in hand, Nicholas threw himself down in the chair across from the hearth and drained half of the scotch in a single swallow. “Why did you suggest we dump our accountingfirm?”
Shite.
“Because the woman I’m dating was let go from Carter, Pastack, and Hayes two weeks ago. They claim she didn’t do her job, but I don’t believe that for a moment. I thought it unseemly to give our money to a firm that caused her such grief.” Alexander tried not to dwell on the fact that he might not be dating Elizabethanymore.
“That’s it? That’s the only reason?” Nicholas leaned forward, his piercing blue eyes searching foranswers.
“Itwas. But I’m afraid there is more now. I can’t talk about this, Nicholas. Not tonight. I made a promise toElizabeth.”
“Did she work on our accounts?” Nicholas slammed his glass down on the coffee table, shattering Alexander’s tenuous hold on his emotions along with the lead crystal. “Shite.”
Welcoming the distraction of retrieving a fresh glass and pouring Nicholas another two fingers of scotch, Alexander shook his head. “Leave it. The housekeeper comes in themorning.”
“Well?”
His brother could be insufferable when an idea stuck in his head, and Alexander tried not to snap at him. “No. Elizabeth had nothing to do with any accounts tied to Fairhaven Exports. That’s all I’m willing to say tonight. Tomorrow’s meeting is at her behest. She’s frightened. I have my suspicions as to why, and she promised to explain everything tomorrow. We can’t do anything tonightanyway.”
“Goddammit, Alex. You’re taking her side over the company our father entrusted to us. We overpaid our taxes by at least ten million last year. I had Cynthia run a quick audit of the numbers. Standard practice since I was investigating new accounting firms. She and I both nearly missed it, but our charitable contributions were listed as two-point-three million last year. Do you remember that bet wehad?”
Alexander chuckled. “Of course. I beat your arse five weeks in a row on the courts, and you had to donate an amount proportional to your totalscore.”
“I scored twenty-one points over those five weeks, so to keep it sporting, I donated two-point-one million. In one go. Cynthia totaled up the rest of the donations, and we should have been credited for three-point-nine million. I have her going over every line of our taxes for last year.” Nicholas finished off his scotch and rose to pour himselfanother.
Alexander grabbed his arm and spun him around. “Did you share your suspicions withanyoneother thanCynthia?”
Shaking his arm free, Nicholas glared at his brother. “Of course not! Cynthia’s handling this personally. If CPH screwed us, they’re going to pay. We’ll sue them for everything they’re worth. They’re arseholes. I’ve seen them go after former employees who exposed their insane overtime requirements. I dismissed it. Business sometimes requires us to be cold and unfeeling. But I never liked it. Knowing that they screwed us, even if it was unintentional, I’m hitting them as hard as Ican.”
Alexander had two inches and fifty pounds on Nicholas, all muscle, but his brother was older, and his stare could still reduce Alexander to a ten-year-old boy. Exhaustion washed over Alexander like a tidal wave, filling his lungs, tumbling him head over heels. The boy he’d been wanted Nicholas to throw him a life preserver. The man he was now swam to the surfacealone.
“Elizabeth begged me not to say anything. Even to you. She’s not the type of woman who begs. At least not outside the bedroom. We had a row about it, and I’m afraid I was an arse to her. I’ve never asked you for much at all, brother. But I am asking now. Give her—us—twelve hours. Please. Don’t tell asoul.”
“Shite, Alex. You’re really falling for her, aren’t you?” Nicholas poured them both more scotch, then took a seat, Alexander joininghim.
“That I am. She’s a natural submissive, Nicholas. But there’s also a tremendous amount of strength in her. She’s everything I’ve always wanted and didn’t know I needed. A woman who’ll stand up to me, challenge me, but will give me her total trust in the bedroom. It’s easier for you, I think. What you want. Finding a slave when you’re…well, us…isn’t difficult. Throw some cash around, and you’ve got it. At least for a time. I’m glad that dynamic works for you. It doesn’t work forme.”
“You think it’s easy dealing with Candy? She’s as dumb as a box of rocks. No. Scratch that. She doesn’t even have the brains of a singlerock.”
Alexander’s dry laugh echoed against the high ceilings. “No, she does not. Are you saying it’s finallyover?”
“Not yet. I need someone for all the holiday parties, and she does fill out a dress quite well.” Nicholas ran a hand through his blond hair. “But after the first of the year, I’ll find her a new Master and be done with her. I want someone who can hold their own in a conversation. After Lia…” Sadness swam in Nicholas’s eyes and he shook his head. “I told Terrance that I’d take him to a club I joined out in Dorchester. I found Candy there shortly after they opened. Perhaps I’ll find a better match there now. I was going to see if you wanted to come with us. They’re quite exclusive. All members and guests are required to sign a strict confidentiality agreement. I know you were recognized a time or two at MidnightSin.”
“I saw Terrance on Monday. He mentioned the club. Chains, isit?”
