Bentley: Vested Interest #1

by Melanie Moreland

  His words all made sense. Yet, I couldn’t escape the feeling of guilt.

  “It’s still on me.”

  “Bent—”

  “I think I need to be alone for a while.”

  Aiden started to object, but Maddox stood and pulled him to his feet. “We’ll go, but we’re outside if you need us.”

  I nodded, my thoughts already far away.

  **

  Dusk was falling when I heard the quiet knock on the door. Emmy’s face appeared around the edge, nervous and timid.

  “May I come in?”

  Another wave of guilt, one entirely different, washed over me. She was suffering, and I had ignored her all afternoon. I should have been with her, and instead, I sat by myself, my mind on a never-ending loop, trying to piece everything together. I was stiff and tense, as if all my nerves were on the outside of my body. I scrubbed my face hard, realizing I had never felt so exhausted in my life.

  I held out my hand. “Of course.”

  She slipped in, shutting the door behind her. She held a file folder close to her chest. I indicated she should sit, and with a frown, she sat across from me. Immediately, I realized my mistake and I held out my arms.

  “Too far away, Freddy. Come here.”

  She slid onto my lap, curling into my body. I held her close, breathing her in, feeling more relaxed than I had all day. “I’m sorry,” I murmured into her hair.

  “It’s fine,” she responded. “I’m fine.”

  I pressed a kiss to her head in a silent apology.

  “I spoke with my professor. He said Aiden had let him know what occurred. I get to take my test tomorrow. He’s made special arrangements for me given the situation.”

  “Are you up to that?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I can’t let this affect me or my goals.”

  She was so brave and strong. “Okay.”

  I tugged on the manila folder. “Study notes?”

  “No.” She set it on the desk and turned to face me. Her expression was serious. “Aiden told me—told us—what happened this morning. He told us everything.”

  I didn’t want that image in her head. “I wish he wouldn’t have.”

  “No, he did the right thing. I’m sorry that happened, but Aiden is right. This isn’t your fault. None of it.”

  “I’m having a tough time separating my guilt.” I scrubbed a hand over my face. “He killed himself in front of me. Because of a stupid land deal, and his own greed, he ended his life. I can’t get past that fact.”

  “I think there’s more to it than what he said.”

  She rubbed her finger over the folder, hesitant and unsure. I was curious as to why she seemed so nervous.

  “What’s in the folder?”

  “Maddox, Aiden, and Reid did some investigation work.” She drew in a big breath. “I think if you look this over, you might think a little differently about your relationship with Greg.” She paused. “Maddox wants to talk to you about it.”

  “Then why isn’t he in here?”

  She smiled, some of the mischievousness I associated with her showing through. “I think he thought he’d send me in to test the waters. Less chance you’d throw me out rather than him.”

  I felt my own smile happen despite how I was feeling. “He never feels this good on my lap. His ass is far too bony.”

  Her eyes grew round. “Are you saying I have a fat ass?”

  I slid my hand under the curved perfection of her ass and squeezed. “No, I’m saying yours is my favorite ass in the world.”

  She kissed me softly and stood. “Can I send him in?”

  “Give me a few minutes to go through the folder.”

  “We were thinking maybe we would order pizza and watch a movie later, if you’re up to it.”

  Pizza and a movie. So simple. Normal. She was trying so hard to reach out and bring me back from the edge. To remind me she was there, and she needed me to be there for her.

  I nodded in agreement. “Sounds good.”

  With another kiss, she left the room. I pulled the file to me, curious what it contained. Inside were printouts of emails, copies of transactions, and I studied them all, perplexed.

  What did Maddox want me to see?

  “If you frown any harder, your face is going to stay that way. I doubt even Emmy is going to love you looking like a curmudgeon at thirty-two.”

  “What are you showing me here?”

  He sat down, Aiden following him after shutting the door.

  “Wow, he really messed with your head. Look at the emails, Bent. Look at the times you thanked him. The gifts you sent him.”

  “He deserved them. Especially, after he stepped up on the Townsview building. It was his contacts that got us the ‘in’ we needed.”

  “For which you paid him handsomely, added in a bonus, and sent him on a cruise with his second wife. Now read the bottom line of that email.”

  “I offered him a spot in the company—again.”

  “You offered him a spot four times over the course of the past six years. You even offered him his own department. He had free rein.”

  “That’s not what he wanted. He wanted a partnership.”

  Aiden barked out a laugh. “Bentley, how bad is your freaking memory? You have never simply offered a partnership—to anyone. You hired Maddox and me. You didn’t make us partner for over a year. You bloody well know you would have done the same with Greg. He turned down your offers. All of them.”

  Maddox added in his thoughts. “You did try, Bent. You invited him on several trips. The one he agreed to go on was a disaster, and he was the one who told you not to bother with another invite.”

  “The golfing weekend.”

  He nodded. “Our play wasn’t up to his standard. Even yours. He ditched us to play with ‘serious’ golfers.”

  “He joined us for dinner the last night, so he could boast about his new clients he secured during the back nine,” Aiden pointed out snidely.

  I heaved a sigh, taking in their words of advice.

  “Bent, you did try, but he didn’t allow it. No matter what he said, he pushed back. I think it was part of the game to him. He wanted to hear you beg.”

  “Until I stopped offering.”

  “Yes. So, he twisted it, and it became personal.” Maddox tapped the desk, bringing my attention to his serious gaze. “You’re not perfect—none of us are. But don’t let him fuck you up. Despite what happened today, you’re at a great place in your life. Business is good. You found a girl who loves you.” He grinned. “God knows why, but she does. She brings something out in you I’ve never seen until now. Don’t let him take that away.”

  “I still can’t wrap my head around it.”

  “And you never will. None of us will. He took all the answers with him. He played a dangerous game, one he arrogantly thought he would win, and instead of facing the consequences, he shot himself.” Aiden shook his head. “Maddox is right—it was his final fuck you.”

  I shut the folder. “Okay. I hear you. I just need time to come to terms with it all.”

  Maddox and Aiden stood.

  “Don’t dwell, Bentley. Let us help you. Let Emmy be there for you. You need to be there for her, as well.”

  I nodded. “I know.”

  **

  They left me alone and I read the folder again. They were right. I had tried. Maybe I wasn’t as clear as I should have been, but Greg for some reason, had never opened the dialogue. Perhaps Maddox was right, and it was a game.

  One that cost him everything in the end.

  I stood, switching off the light and rubbing my eyes. I was drained. I needed a drink, and to talk to Emmy. She would listen, and I would do the same for her. She needed me, and I was being an idiot trying to understand the thoughts of a dead man instead of concentrating on helping heal the woman I loved.

  I pulled open the den door, surprised to find the living room empty. I glanced at my watch realizing it had been over two hours since Maddox a
nd Aiden were in the den. No doubt everyone had given up on the pizza idea and gone to bed.

  I headed to the kitchen to grab a cold drink, freezing when I pushed open the swinging door.

  Maddox and Dee were alone in the kitchen. He had her crowded against the counter, his hands fisting her hair as he devoured her mouth. She was clutching the back of his shirt so tight, the seams were staining. The image of them was erotic and personal, and I carefully backed out of the room, allowing them their privacy. I’d get a cold water upstairs.

  My room was empty, and I went down the hall to find Emmy. Cami’s door was closed, and I wondered if they were talking. I reached up to knock when I heard the unmistakable sound of a groan.

  One filled with pleasure.

  I heard Aiden’s voice, a low murmur, as he coaxed his lover. “That’s it, baby. Like that.”

  I stepped back, shaking my head. What the fuck was happening in my house? When had all that passion suddenly exploded? Despite the fatigue I was feeling, my need for Emmy was beginning to take hold. The thought of her skin on mine, the taste of her mouth, and the feel of her warmth made my cock kick up. I hurried up the stairs, taking them two at a time in my rush. I needed her closeness, much the same way Aiden and Maddox had sought out the women they needed. Now it was my turn.

  Emmy was in the sunroom, on the sofa, laptop open, with all the lights on, but she was staring out the window toward the darkening sky. I sat beside her, removing the laptop, and tugged her into my arms.

  “Hey, Freddy.”

  Her head fell on my shoulder. “Hi.”

  “I thought you’d be in bed.”

  “No. I can’t sleep. I thought I would study, but I can’t concentrate.”

  “I’m sure we could get a doctor’s note or something to postpone your test.”

  “No. I know it and I want to take it. I just . . .”

  “Just?”

  “I didn’t want to be alone down there. I feel better up here. With the light and all the windows.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave you alone.”

  “Are you okay?” She caressed my face.

  I shifted, pulling her onto my lap. “I will be. I’ll never understand, but I have no choice. If I don’t move forward, Greg will have won it all. I’ll be stuck there in that room with him forever. Trying to figure out the impossible.”

  “Me too. He has me trapped in a different room.”

  I held her tight, momentarily silent, unpleasant thoughts rampant in my head. She could so easily have been taken from me forever so easily. Left alone and chained in that room to die. If we hadn’t figured it out, if something had happened, and Greg realized she knew. I shuddered when I realized if he were prepared to kill himself, killing an innocent woman wouldn’t have been an issue either. He had hurt her, though, and she was suffering with the after-effects, much the same way I was.

  “Tell me.”

  “I feel frightened. I’m too scared to be alone and in the dark. I’m terrified at the thought of going out tomorrow. I have never felt like this—even after Jack left.”

  “I think it’s normal after what you went through.” I pressed a kiss to her head. “I’m sorry he did that to you. Above all else, I hate him the most for doing that.”

  She nodded, not answering.

  “Colin gave me the name of a counsellor. Maybe it’s something we need to explore.” I huffed out a sigh. “I think perhaps I need some help, too. Aiden, as well.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’m sorry about today, Emmy. I’ve been absent since we got back. I know you’re going through this alone. I promise, I won’t leave you again.”

  “Bentley,” she whispered, aghast. “You watched a man die today. I understand your need to be alone and try to sort it out. I had the girls, and Maddox and Aiden stayed nearby. I was never alone.”

  “Still, I should have been the one comforting you.”

  “Well, you’re here now.”

  “I am. I won’t disappear again—I promise.”

  We sat, melded together, taking silent comfort from our embrace.

  After a while, she leaned her head back, meeting my gaze. “I wonder if the others have gone to bed.”

  I chuckled. “In a manner of speaking.”

  She furrowed her brow. “What?”

  “I sort of walked in on Dee and Maddox defiling my kitchen.”

  “Oh!” She giggled. “Which part?”

  “Lord knows. They might use all of it. Maddox is an equal opportunity kind of guy.”

  “I hope they clean it up. Andrew will have their asses.”

  I smirked. “Cami and Aiden were, ah, having their own moment in her room.”

  “Oh, dear, your poor house. Defiling everywhere.” She kissed my cheek.

  “What is it about you girls? You three weave your magic and we’re toast. You’re impossible to resist.”

  She shifted on my lap. “Me, too?”

  I slid my hand under the layers of thick cloth to the satin of her bare skin. I traced the delicate contours of her back with my fingers, enjoying the tremor from my touch.

  “Especially you.”

  Her eyes glazed over as my other hand joined in, sliding higher, gliding over the sides of her full breasts. I pulled her closer, running my nose up her neck, nibbling on her ear. “I need you, Emmy. I need you to anchor me. Bring me back to you. To us.”

  “Yes,” she breathed out. “I need you, too.”

  Our mouths fused as we fumbled and pulled on the clothes separating us. Her skin pressed to mine was silk on stone, her softness a soothing welcome to my tense body. I relaxed at her touch, losing myself in the taste and feel of her. Moments passed as we explored and caressed, our bodies relearning each other. We didn’t need words, communicating it all with our lingering touches, and lips that teased and caressed. There, with the light to keep her safe, and my body to worship her, our worlds realigned as we moved and loved.

  Cradled deep within her, I groaned. She was goodness and light. Strength and vulnerability. The one thing that truly mattered in our vast and crazy world.

  She was my everything. She was my home.

  She always would be.

  Chapter 19

  Bentley

  Greg’s suicide made the news, but faded quickly from the headlines. After several weeks, we had a visit from his lawyer, Hank Godwin, who was acting on behalf of Greg’s sister, the executor of his will. He extended an offer for us to purchase the pieces of property Greg had bought from under us months prior to his death.

  In addition, the final paperwork for the last piece hadn’t been completed before he died, and we had been offered the opportunity to purchase by the city, since we technically should have been the highest bidder. I was still thinking about it, unable to make a final decision on that parcel of land. It felt tainted.

  The asking price surprised me. I looked at him over the documents, and handed them to Aiden. Maddox sat on the sofa, watching us with interest.

  “This is less than the current market value.”

  Removing his glasses, he polished them, took in a deep breath, and nodded. “The estate has some sizable debts against it. We are looking to liquefy the assets as efficiently as possible.”

  That surprised me. “I see.”

  “May I speak frankly, Mr. Ridge? I have my client’s permission.”

  I waved my hand. “Of course. Whatever you say in this room remains between us.”

  “Mr. Tomlin—Greg—had developed a gambling problem over the past couple of years. He began placing larger wages to try to make up what he lost, but as we all know, that rarely pays off.”

  “Gambling?” I glanced at Aiden and Maddox with raised eyebrows. It seemed so out of character for the person I had believed Greg to be. They looked surprised, as well.

  “He liked cards. Poker, especially. He borrowed against his home and removed money from his company to the point there was really nothing left. We are trying to salvage what we c
an.”

  “Wow.”

  He continued with a nod. “Greg and Cindy weren’t close. In fact, she hadn’t seen him in five years. My client wants to sell the assets he had left, settle what debts she can, and move on. As you can imagine, this has been a trying time for her.” He cleared his throat. “She was made aware of the, ah, lengths, he had gone to in his last few days, and she felt you should be given the chance to get back what should have been rightfully yours.”

  Maddox spoke up. “Will this sale cover his debts?”

  “Almost. Once the rest of the estate is liquidated, it will be close.”

  Aiden and I shared a glance, and I looked toward Maddox. He dipped his chin, and I stood, extending my hand. “Let me talk with my partners. I’ll be in touch before closing today.”

  Mr. Godwin shook my hand. “Cindy asked me to convey her sincere apologies for what occurred. She wants to believe Greg suffered some sort of breakdown due to the stress of his addiction.”

  “She owes me no apology. It was Greg’s actions, not hers,” I replied tersely. “I’ll get back to you later today.”

  Aiden showed him out, and I sat, counting to ten in my head the way the counsellor suggested. I flexed my hands and took a calming breath, repeating the exercise. Any time someone mentioned Greg, I had the same reaction, and listening to someone else apologize for his behavior was too much.

  “Okay, Bent?”

  I exhaled one last time, and opened my eyes. “Yep.”

  Maddox looked over the documents. “What do you think?”

  “I think I don’t want any part of any of that land, giving the blood that’s been shed over them.”

  He pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Or . . .”

  “Or what?”

  “We buy it all, like we originally intended. Then we do some good with them.”

  “I thought we were going ahead with the condo tower. We all agreed.”