“I had no right to tell you that you couldn’t, but had you fucked us both—”
“Oh God,” she says, trying to pull away, but my leg slides against her knee, my hand going to the wall by her head.
“What just happened?” I demand.
“You implied that I’m some sort of whore who wants to do two brothers.”
“I did no such thing. I told you how I feel.”
“I slept with you. You affected me. You have always affected me, Eric, even when I wanted you out of my head.”
“What does that mean?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she says, her eyes blazing with anger. “Let me off the wall.”
“Not until you tell me what that means.”
“You made me feel dirty, and like a weapon.”
“You brought me here,” I say. “And I told you: I came for you, not them.”
“I don’t like being put in the middle of Kingston drama. It’s consumed my entire life.”
“I’m not a Kingston if that’s what you’re implying.”
“Yes, you are. You are a Kingston,” she says. “You are your father’s son just as much as I am my father’s daughter.”
“I was born a Mitchell and I will die a Mitchell.”
“What are we doing right now, Eric?”
“You tell me. You’re the one who pulled me into this and now you’re telling me to let go.”
Her expression softens. “I don’t want you to let go.”
“That’s what you said. Let go. Your words, not mine.”
“Those comments about me and Isaac turned me back into the enemy. Maybe not in context, but I felt the distrust in you. I heard it in the nickname, and don’t tell me it’s inked on your skin and that makes it okay. We both know it represents a divide.”
“A divide that’s now what brought us together.”
“Don’t let him divide us.”
“He’s not dividing us,” I say. “I’m not walking away this time. This time is different. You have to know that. You have to feel that. We’re together now.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“You do know. I know you know.”
My cellphone rings, and I glance down at the number to find Grayson calling. I hit decline and curse under my breath. “Look, sweetheart, we need to talk but I’m negotiating the purchase of an NFL team and I have a small stake in the deal. Grayson is calling me and he knows I came here for you. He wouldn’t be calling if there wasn’t a problem.”
“You’re—wait—you’re buying an NFL team?”
“Packaging the project, but yeah. It’s a big deal for the Bennett Corporation and for me.”
“Take the call. That’s incredible. I want to know what happened with Isaac, but I can wait.”
“I’m going to call Grayson while I go to the hotel and grab my bag to move over here with you, unless you have a problem with that.”