CHAPTER ONE
Jason
With happy hourbeing celebrated loudly around me, I stand on a balcony above the bar area and survey my domain, Club TEN29, a nightclub in Tribeca, an ode to the past and a reminder that the future isn’t guaranteed. Despite the fact that my two partners are here, as are members of my actual family, I still feel very much alone.
Although solitary is a state of being I choose for reasons only I—and my partners, men I consider my brothers—understand, sometimes it isn’t easy, especially since we are very much in demand. As owners, we’re becoming well-known here and have had extremely positive press, and that makes me a target for those who want an in with the occasional high-brow guest, and for women with dollar signs in their eyes and hopes to snag a wealthy man. I don’t engage. I am ultra-selective with the females I bring to my bed.
My life is the club, my partners, and my large family. I keep my circle close andminimize my risk of lossas best I can. That mantra defines me, extending into my love life, as well. After my father blew our family sky-high, after I almost lost my sister to cancer when she was a child, after losing my partner Landon’s twin and my best friend back in college, I don’t, can’t, get close to people and risk more loss.
I don’t get emotionally involved. Ever. A woman can’t expect anything more than the occasional hookup when it’s convenient, but I enjoy those moments of connection with the females I do allow into my bed. I have enough darkness in my life that when I let go, I want to enjoy and have fun.
“Jason, this has been an amazing night!” my sister, Sienna, says, throwing her arms around my neck and planting a kiss on my cheek.
I chuckle and smile at her glowing face.
Her husband, Ethan Knight, grins as he pulls her off me and into his arms. “She’s been liberal with the alcohol,” Ethan explains her exuberant enthusiasm. “Her first time out since having the baby.” He holds his wife tight against him.
“I had fun! And now we’re going home to f—” Ethan places a hand over Sienna’s mouth, sparing me from hearing about my sister’s love life. Jesus.
I shoot the man a grateful look.
“And on that note, we’re leaving. We just wanted to say goodbye,” Ethan says with a smug grin on his face.
“Thanks for coming.” I extend my arm and shake Ethan’s hand. “And give that little bundle a kiss from her uncle Jase.”
Accepting this man as my sister’s husband was an adjustment, one I am still making, considering Ethan knocked up Sienna before anyone even knew they were together. They now have a baby girl named Lizzy, whom I adore, and Ethan is a member of the family. More people for me to worry about. I watch them leave, acknowledging my sister is in good hands with the other man.
My gaze turns to my closest friends since our time together in college, now equal partners in Club TEN29. They stand huddled together around the bar with some of our repeat customers. Tanner Grayson is the night manager, and Landon Bennett is the head of Entertainment and Appearances, Brand Deals, and Promotions. After Landon’s twin died, he pulled into himself, while Tanner spiraled, and it was only by sheer determination that he dragged himself out of the angry place he went to and the trouble he got himself into.
I hold the position of CEO. Together, we’re a solid mix of personalities and work ethic in a club that is merely two years old but is becoming prominent in the night scene. We make sure Club TEN29 provides a memorable experience for everyone who steps inside. There is no task too menial that we won’t handle personally if the need arises.
But I wantmorefor our singular club. We have a stage on which customers dance, but it isn’t fully utilized, and although we put a lot of money into ads and promotions, we aren’t growing as fast as I would like. I just haven’t figured out in which direction we need to go in order to break out the way I want. Since Tanner and Landon think things are fine as they are, I need a fully fleshed-out plan before presenting it to them for a vote. Which is why I’m meeting my cousin Gabe later on tonight. To hash out some ideas.
Gabriel Dare owns Elite, also a nightclub, but one that operates on a scale I can’t imagine, one where people pay over five figures for a table and A-list celebrities visit often. They have clubs all over the world, including on the island of Eden, an exclusive invitation-only resort near the Bermuda Triangle.
I want to think things through before I meet up with Gabe, and I can’t make decisions here, where the music blares and people party. As much as Club TEN29 is home, I need a break.
After clearing my departure with Tanner and Landon, I head out into the cold air. I pull my wool jacket around me and head to my car. Despite it being impractical in the city, I like having my Jag at my disposal.
Once I’m enclosed in the luxurious interior and the heated seats and warmth begin to surround me, I relax. I turn on some music and decide to drive around a little before heading to my cousin’s. This area of the city isn’t the grid of ease that is Uptown Manhattan, and I wind my way through the smaller streets, taking in the shops that line them.
Because it’s cold, not many people are out, so when I come upon a lone van parked in front of a run-down apartment building, with two women standing alongside it, I slow down. When one of the women bends over, her cute ass peeking out from beneath the edge of her down jacket, I notice. And when in frustration, she kicks what I realize is a flat tire, I come to a complete stop, then park my car in front of hers.
As I climb out and get a look at the curvy woman with waves of blonde hair, full lips, and a startled expression on her pretty face, currently clutching the lug wrench in her hand like a weapon, I realize my night is about to get much more interesting.
***
Faith
I load thelast of my marshmallow pops into the back of my company van, adjusting the baskets, taking care to space the items far enough apart that nothing will get ruined or crushed. I spent all day in my small apartment kitchen, making and wrapping my treats with the intention of dropping off baskets to nearby stores along with my business cards. I plan to request they leave them on the counter for their customers to sample, hoping to drive business to Sweet Treats, my candy store located off the beaten path.
Kelsey Johnson, the culinary school intern I hired to help, joins me after working in the shop all day. Before Kelsey and I can climb into the car, I notice my flat back tire and groan.
The deflated tire mocks me and all the time I spent creating and preparing. Although I could have handed them out during the day, I ended up spending all afternoon cooking and creating, deciding to work from home instead of the shop, and now it’searly evening. But I know the area I want to hit up has open stores with people browsing for the evening. A used bookstore, a coffee shop, and a few other boutique-type stores that will hopefully help out a fellow business.
I should have known better than to drop a big chunk of change on an old beat-up delivery van with no known history, but desperation makes a woman do stupid things. And although I’ve come a long way, Iwasdesperate when I arrived in Manhattan with a new name, a limited amount of funds, and a dream of opening my own candy shop.
I glare at the flat on the back tire, wondering why luck just isn’t on my side. I’ve had a rough go of it for a long time now, and I thought I was coming out on the other side at last. Now this.
