I melt at his words. “It’s more to me too.” My words come out shy and vulnerable. He smiles.
“Let’s go eat.”
31
Drew
“What the fuck do you mean I got outbid?” I shout as I walk into Cal’s office. His eyes dart to me. At least he has the decency to look unsettled by my unannounced appearance in his office.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, his eyes shifting around the room.
Good. The bastard should be scared. I have a mind to strangle the sonofabitch.
“Did you really think after the text you just sent me, I wouldn’t show up?”
“Hoped . . .” he mumbles under his breath.
“You obviously don’t know me as well as you thought you did if you think I am going to let this fly.”
“What do you want me to say? I’m sorry. This is business, Drew. You, of all people, should know this is how stuff goes.”
“I fucking hired your girl’s sister to get this property. I was assured it was a done deal.”
I hate speaking about Bailey like this, but I have to play the game that Cal would. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself, not even Harper.
“Don’t pretend you haven’t enjoyed every minute of having her in your club. I know all about you and your side action.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I see red. This guy is asking for me to end him.
“Nothing, bro. Just that she’s hot. That’s all. Listen, I had no choice.”
I stalk forward, menacingly, baring my teeth. “Don’t ever speak about Bailey like that again. Do you fucking read me?”
His hands fly up. “Calm the fuck down. I was just saying.”
“You don’t speak about her,” I yell.
“All right. Fine. Are we done here?” he asks, eyes finding the door behind me.
“Not even close. We had an agreement.”
“Never on paper.”
I slam my hands down on the desk, and the fucking coward jumps. “That’s not good enough. The papers were being signed, according to you.”
He gulps. “I’m sorry. I am. You did me a solid, but I had no choice.”
“You had a choice, Cal. You made the wrong one, and you know it.” I grate the last part through my teeth.
“It’s not like that. This time, I didn’t. He had me by my balls.” His face is ruddy, and I have to wonder what this mystery buyer has on him. “There was no other choice.”
“Who bought the property?” I say, low and threateningly.
He grimaces. “You know I can’t tell you that.”
I lean over the desk until our faces are only inches from each other. “I’ll ask one more time. Who. Bought. The. Property?”
He looks down, fidgeting with his hands.
“The name, Cal. I won’t ask you again.”
When his eyes lift to mine, I’m caught off guard by the concern in Cal’s expression. “Listen, before I tell you, I need you to promise not to kill him. He’s fucked up, man.”
He doesn’t need to say the name for me to know who he’s talking about. Reese. He’d threatened as much.
“Say it,” I demand, needing to verify that my assumption is correct.
“He still hasn’t gotten over her death. He’s hung up on you for some reason. Always talking about you and her.”
“Say it!” I bellow, and he jumps yet again.
“It was Reese.”
Fucking Christ. Will my past ever stop fucking with me? Will I ever be able to bury my sins and move ahead?
“Why?” It comes out pathetic. Broken.
No matter how many times Reese has pissed me off, I feel his pain. I know he’s beyond help. I feel powerless, and that’s not something I feel often.
“What do you mean, why?” Cal huffs a humorous laugh. “Isn’t it obvious? You wanted it, so he took it.”
“Did he say anything else?”
He blows out a breath. “Yeah. He mumbled that you’ll get what’s coming to you. Dude, he’s unhinged. I don’t know if it’s the drugs or what, but he’s lost his fucking mind.”
“I’ll handle him.”
“If you mean you’ll get him help, good. But as far as the property, it’s a done deal. Nothing can be changed now.”
I pick up a picture frame from his desk and smash it against the wall. “Don’t ask me for another favor. You and I? We’re fucking done, Cal.”
“You don’t understand . . .”
“Don’t give a shit,” I say, walking out and leaving a simpering Cal to ponder all the ways I could ruin his life.
I won’t bother. There are other locations. Yes, this is a setback, but I’ve dealt with worse.
The first thing I need to do is calm the fuck down. Then I need to deal with Reese.
I know he blames me. Shit. I blame myself, but messing with my life and my livelihood needs to stop. He needs to get help.
I indulged him by allowing him entrance to my club. In a weird way, I thought if he was in my space, I could watch over him, make sure he didn’t go overboard, but I’ve only enabled his behavior. Those days are over. He’s gone too far.