Priceless

“Assault.”

“Is she claiming that? Is that what she’s saying?” I stumble back, my ass landing on my desk. Is that what she felt happened? That I forced her to touch herself? I drag a shaky hand down my face. Out of all the reasons I could think up for why she’d left so abruptly this was not one of them.

“You did, didn’t you?” he snarls and this time I don’t defend myself because if that’s how she feels, I deserve to be put away. “Fuck, I suspected but I wasn’t positive.”

I see the punch coming, but I deserve it so I don’t duck. I let Gavin strike me full in the jaw. “I gave you that one,” I tell him.

“You’re also going to jail.”

“Fine, but we’re doing this privately and not to cover my ass but to protect your sister’s reputation. She doesn’t need to go through any pain because of me.”

“Any more pain, you mean,” he corrects.

I rub my jaw and give him a terse nod of agreement. “I’ll meet you down at the station. First, though, I’d like to write your sister a letter of apology and compensate her for her…trauma,” I conclude.

“She doesn’t want your guilt money.”

“She can donate it then.” I return to my desk and pull out my checkbook. I write the check out for the full amount in my bank account and then I start typing, deeding over two buildings in lower Manhattan and a property upstate. I hand these all over to Gavin with further instructions. “I’ll begin liquidating my stock in the morning. I’ll have to do it slowly because I don’t want the market to panic.” My holdings are sizeable and a sell-off now would crash the entire system.

Gavin understands this. “Fine but you’re doing this for nothing. She doesn’t want your money.”

His words hit me like a second blow to the face. She doesn’t want anything from me. I’d found my true mate and she believed I’d taken something from her. My chest feels like it’s caved in. I have a hard time breathing. I shrug into my jacket, tighten my tie, and jerk my chin in Gavin’s direction. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

I never realized how big my office was but the walk across it from my desk to the door seems endless. The dark blue carpet stretches out in front of me like a dark, angry lake. Gavin falls in behind me, my sullen escort.

Outside my office, Jason gets to his feet as I exit. “Did you need something, Major?”

“I’m going to be out of the office for the rest of the week,” I reply. “You may want to look for another job.”

“Major?” he asks in confusion.

“I’m liquidating, Jason. As of tomorrow morning, I’m liquidating.”

His jaw falls open. He sputters but has no response. Good thing because there’s no explanation I can provide for him. This is my penance. No, it’s merely the start of my penance.

“Maybe you should call your lawyer,” Gavin murmurs from behind my shoulder.

“No. If what you say about your sister is true, there’s no need for any further judgment. I believe her.”

Gavin clears his throat. I turn to see him tugging at his tie.

“What is it?” I ask, suspicion tingling in my spine.

“It’s just that…I don’t know….She didn’t exactly…” He can’t finish an entire sentence.

I narrow my eyes but before I can blurt out an accusation, the elevator doors slide open and there, in the middle of the car, stands Maple, holding a bouquet of flowers. Her beautiful lips part and her eyes volley from her brother to me and back again.

“Oh no,” she says.

Chapter 16

Maple

“What are you doing here?” I ask my brother but rush over to Major. I shouldn’t be shocked to see Gavin here but I am. I’d showed up at his place late last night. Not to talk to him but to Levi. I knew his fiancé could give me more rational advice about everything.

I see a red mark on Major’s face. “Did he hit you?” I accuse my brother. “Are you okay?” I fire off a bunch of questions.

No one says anything. They both stand there in what looks to be shock that I’m standing here. I’m not going to lie, I might be a little surprised too but Levi reminded me that I always lead with my heart and something about Major is pulling me toward him. It’s encouraging me to find out exactly what the pull is. It isn’t like me to not listen to what my body is trying to tell me. I still need to make his mother the necklace. I know I agreed to it under a settlement but after meeting her I am more than willing to create it. It is going to be my honor to do so.

I stand here waiting for answers but no one gives me any. “Can you get me ice?” I ask the man standing behind Gavin and Major. His eyes are bouncing between all of us. He looks a touch panicked about everything. I have no idea what’s gone down but I can only imagine pure chaos, if it was only my brother and Major going head to head. These two need a buffer. Me or that lawyer of Major’s. I don’t think they are able to have a rational conversation. I find it hard to have one with Major sometimes and I’m not even hotheaded like my brother.