When Rivals Lose (Bayshore Rivals 2)

Must look away. When my cheeks start to burn, I avert my gaze to his face.

His hair is wet, making the russet brown color look almost black, which draws out the ocean blue of his eyes, making them appear brighter. Knowing damn well I’m checking him out he gives me a cheeky grin.

“See something you like?” He wiggles his thick brows, and I swear my face turns fifty shades of red. I shouldn’t be shy about this, about them, but for some reason, I still am. I mean, I’ve slept with each of them, so I have no reason to turn all red-faced over simply checking them out, but I can’t stop myself.

Banks looks up from his phone, “Sullivan, stop trying to seduce Harlow, and put some damn clothes on. No one wants to see your pecker, including her.”

“Are you sure? It looks like Harlow wants to see my pecker, maybe even touch it.”

Lord, please save me.

“What do you think, Miss. Lockwood? Would you like to touch it?” Sullivan chuckles.

Shaking my head in embarrassment, I move to get up and go into the bathroom when a memory pops into my head.

“Harlow, this is not up for negotiation. You’re a Lockwood, and you’re to protect this family, its name and business. If that means doing some things to people that deserve it, then so be it.”

That’s the thing. I don’t care if they’re guilty or innocent anymore. I’m tired of being a Lockwood, tired of doing my father’s bidding.

“I’m done. I’m not going to be your puppet anymore. Find someone else,” I speak through my teeth, shoving out of the chair to leave his office. I want to be my own person, and I cannot do that while being stuck underneath my father’s thumb.

“It’s not like the Bishops are innocent, Harlow. They brought this on themselves.”

Anger simmers in my veins, nearly reaching boiling point, “Sullivan didn’t bring this on himself. You made me plant those drugs! You made me ruin his life. I never should’ve listened to you. If this is what being a Lockwood means, then I don’t want to be part of this family anymore!”

A look of shock overtakes his features, “You don’t mean that.”

Curling my lip, I let every ounce of rage I’m feeling coat my words, “I do. I’m done. I want out. If you don’t let me go, then I’ll find another way. One way or another, this charade is over.” I don’t bother to look at him as I walk out of his office. I’ve made my choice because in my eyes while the Bishops aren’t innocent, neither is my father.

I blink the memory away. My father did make me do it. It wasn’t my own choice, and that thought soothes me more than I thought it would. I didn’t realize how much not knowing was weighing on me. I thought I was a terrible person. Maybe I wasn’t so bad after all.

“Hey, are you okay?” Sullivan’s voice is coated with concern, his teasing tone gone. “I was just joking… I’ll put some clothes on.”

“No, it’s not that.”

“What’s wrong?” Oliver drops what he is doing in the kitchen and walks over to the bed. He cups my cheek and examines my face as if he’s going to find some underlying ailment. “You look pale.”

“I just remembered something… a fight with my father. It must have been before I came here. I told him I was done. I didn’t want to be a Lockwood anymore.” The room goes silent around me, all three brothers staring at me. A sick feeling settling in my insides. “You don’t think it’s… He’s my father, he wouldn’t want me dead?” I ask, looking up into Oliver’s concerned eyes.

“I don’t know. Nothing and no one is off the table at this point.” I nod in agreement. I guess he is right, even though my gut tells me otherwise… it couldn’t have been my own father. This is a slippery slope we’re walking, and if his hate runs as deep for the Bishops as I feel it does, then it very well could have been him.

“I also remembered something else, that my father was the one who made me plant the drugs on you, Sullivan.”

“We figured that already,” Sullivan says, as if doing what I did, didn’t ruin every aspect of his life. From the way Matt made it sound, he had it all, and then I came along ripping all of it right out from underneath his feet.

“Well, you might have. I kind of thought I was a bitch before my accident, and I even thought that it might have been my idea to destroy your life. So it’s nice to know that at least it wasn’t my idea. I wasn’t the one who wanted to do this to you. I was merely a pawn, fed lies and told to do things in honor of the Lockwood name.”