“You’re not even going to help me, are you?” I whisper, tears so damn close to springing free that my throat feels tight.
She sighs heavily. “I wish I could, you know I would do just about anything for you, girl, but in this case, my hands are tied.”
I turn away from her, not wanting her to see the tears that are about to start streaming down my cheeks. “I thought you were my friend,” I choke out.
She reaches out for me, touching my arm, but I flinch away, so done with this shit. “I am.” She closes her eyes and sucks in a deep breath. “Fuck, they’re going to kill me.”
“Sloane,” Onyx warns, his voice low and scary as all hell.
“They had their chance, Onyx. Keeping secrets only leads to bad shit, and I’m not going to let that happen to her, she’s been through enough.” Her attention comes back to me. “Valentine’s will. He left his thirty percent share of Moretti Media Italy to you.”
I feel the color drain from my face as I stumble back from her, every sickening piece of the puzzle falling into place. That’s what they all want. My brother, Leone, the Stryker boys. “If I marry Asher like they want me to, as my husband he will have some influence over the company and they all know it. They’re using me, that’s why you came around so pissed this morning when you found out.”
She purses her lips. “I only heard of the will yesterday in the board meeting. I’m in control of the remaining seventy percent. It seems they wanted us both kept in the dark.”
“Why?” I spit.
“I promise you, Daisy, you just need to see this from my brothers’ perspective, this is bad news for you in so many ways.”
“Be straight with me, what exactly does it mean?”
“It puts an even bigger target on your back. You want to run a company you know nothing about? Because trust me, the motherfuckers in charge don’t play by any rules we have ever heard of. I’m only still standing because I have Orlando and Romeo backing me every step of the way, but it’s been rough, and every day I wonder if I’ve made the right choice to keep going with it all. If maybe I would be better off just handing it all over to Romeo and Orlando to run without me.” She takes my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Alone you don’t stand a chance in thatboys’ club of corruption and manipulation. With Asher by your side, maybe the two of you can make it work.”
I stare back at her, shock and pain taking over. She’s the strongest woman I know, I trust her opinion on just about anything, but not this. They kept me out of all the decisions, and for that, I can’t forgive them no matter what their intentions were.
“I didn’t agree with them this morning, but now that I’ve had time to think, I know they’re right. You know I’m all for empowering women to do whatever they want with their lives, but I don’t think this is what you want anyway. And if I were you, I would save myself the trouble.” Her head drops again. “Fuck, I hate myself for saying that to you. Look, girl, you can do whatever you want. But honestly, I just want to see you have a better life. I know what you’ve been through, and you deserve so much better, something away from all this shit. And I think that’s what my brothers want for you as well. They have all fallen in love with you and would literally do anything for you.”
“Except tell me the truth so I can make up my own mind about what I want.” I refill my glass and throw it back then fix my angry gaze back on her. “If you really do care about me, don’t tell them I know. I need time to work out what I want.”
Onyx’s phone rings, and he answers immediately, nodding as the person on the other end talks. “Got it.” He disconnects the call and turns to us. “They have him. Jagger and Cruz send their apologies, they won’t make it back for the show. The others are on their way.”
“I won’t say anything to them. This is for you guys to work out.” The lights dim, and Sloane motions for me to join her. “Come watch the show you worked so hard on and forget about all the drama for a bit.”
Not wanting to ruin it for her, I move through the room and take my seat beside her. Onyx stands behind us.
“I will get you back on the stage as soon as I can, girl, we all miss you here,” she promises but I already know the only way I’m getting back on that stage is if the boys all agree to it, and I will probably be ninety and too damn old to move before that happens.
I force a smile for her more than anything. She came through for me tonight and told me the truth. Hurts like hell that her brothers couldn’t have told me, but I appreciate that she at least cares enough about me to do it.
The game show plays out much like the one Sloane did with me and Asher, but I have no interest in it at all. I’m so torn. So cut up inside. Crushed in a way I never thought I could be. This is why you don’t fall in love, because it hurts like fucking hell when it all falls apart.
Asher slips in the back and sits beside me, draping his arm over my shoulders like it belongs there. The weight of it crushes me. Not because he’s heavy, but because I’m so damn trapped, I don’t know what to do. If I don’t marry him, my family will come for me. If I do, I will be marrying into a lie.
Chapter 27
My All
Ashertakesmyhandas we walk through the door to Jagger’s lake house. “What’s wrong, princess?” He stares down at me, crease lines forming on his forehead. He looks drained tonight as well. Maybe the stress of all this is getting to him. Or maybe he just couldn’t stand the silent treatment a secondlonger. The drive from the city was pretty damn long, just staring out the window.
I reach up and touch the side of his face. “You’re so pretty.”
Amusement dances in his eyes. “No dude wants to be told he’s pretty, Daisy.”
I shrug. “You shouldn’t be pretty then.”
That makes him laugh. “I think you need water.” He bolt locks the front door and turns on the security system.
He helps me to the kitchen with him and pours me a cold glass of water, handing it to me with a look of curiosity on his face.
