Bitter Heat

by Mia Knight

  “Who was the man who answered your phone?” Sunny asked.

  She made a face as she got caught in her lie. She debated whether to tell the truth and then remembered the paparazzi downstairs. They ruined everything. Now she was going to have to tell her family about Roth, which wasn’t going to go over well. She flicked her makeup brush irritably.

  “That was James,” she said casually, hoping Sunny wouldn’t recognize his first name.

  Less than two seconds later, she heard, “James Roth?”

  Sunny had been around her father long enough to know that name very well. She sighed as she applied mascara. “Yeah.”

  Sunny wasn’t leaning on the wall anymore. She was standing straight and on high alert.

  “I visited his mother in Colorado. She had a heart attack while I was there. Roth brought her back to New York to care for her while she recovers,” she said as she chose a deep red matte lipstick.

  “And he answered your phone?” Sunny asked carefully.

  “He insisted I ride back with them.” She rose and avoided Sunny’s dissecting gaze as she went to the closet. “I’ll be ready in fifteen.”

  After Sunny left, she blew out a long breath. Sunny could put two and two together. The injuries weren’t from a BDSM resort, but Roth, which made her a cliché to hook up with her ex. Hell. She went to her closet and dug out a black dress with a high collar and pulled on thigh high boots and added some accessories. The paparazzi were here for a shot, so she’d give them one that hopefully overshadowed the one with Roth. She grabbed one of the few designer bags she still owned and a coat before she walked into the living room.

  The guards immediately got to their feet. She didn’t say a word as she walked to the door. They congregated around her, and this time when she faced the paparazzi, she kept her head high and hoped they got a much better photo. The sun was setting as she ducked into an SUV and settled beside Sunny who talked into her earpiece. She texted Lyle that she was on her way and prepared to face her sisters who she hadn’t seen since the funeral.

  What should have taken ten minutes with no traffic took close to forty. She climbed from the SUV in front of Hennessy Tower, a glass building that spiraled toward the sky. Sunny and two guards accompanied her, but there was no need since the staff didn’t allow the paparazzi within fifteen feet of anyone entering the building. There were a few flashes from the dejected paparazzi, but nothing compared to the circus at her apartment. The workers of Hennessy Tower inclined their heads as she passed through the revolving door and crossed the massive lobby. The elevator operator acknowledged her with a smile before he selected the top floor.

  The elevator opened into an entryway that rivaled the Sistine Chapel guarded by several security guards who stepped aside for her. She passed a mini waterfall and koi pond before she rounded the corner and faced the grand living room. It was everything one would expect from a home worth upward of fifty million. A white piano sat in the corner of the room along with expensive art on the walls. The cream furniture trimmed in gold was custom, as was everything in the two-story penthouse inhabited by Colette, Lyle, and their housekeeper and cook. Everyone lounging in front of the golden hearth turned their heads as she paused on the threshold.

  “Aunty Minnie!”

  Two children ran toward her. She knelt and fell back on her butt as Bailey and Kye hurtled themselves at her.

  “Uncle Lyle says you’re in trouble,” Bailey whispered in her ear.

  “What’s new?” she whispered back.

  Bailey bugged out her eyes, which were the same icy blue as her mother’s. “Are you going to get a time-out?”

  “Maybe,” she said gravely and then patted the butt of the little boy who was clinging to her. “How’s my boy?”

  “Miss you,” he said against her neck.

  Her heart melted. She rose with Kye in her arms and faced a formidable jury eyeing her with varying degrees of disapproval. Her sisters, Colette and Ariana, stood side by side. She was taller than average at five foot seven, but small in comparison to her sisters who towered over her at six feet. They were blonde bombshells with glacial blue eyes. The resemblance between them was uncanny, considering they had different mothers.

  Colette was ten years her senior and detached, rigid, and unbending—the female version of their father. She was the CEO of Hennessy & Co and had flourished in the role she had been groomed for since birth. Maximus paired Colette with Lyle Caruso, a brilliant hedge fund manager and passionate Italian. Colette and Lyle were a New York power couple frequently featured on magazine covers. They had been married over a decade, so she figured Colette wasn’t as frigid between the sheets as she appeared in her everyday life. They nearly divorced last year when Colette refused to have kids, but she had given in once she was reminded of the marriage contract. It was about legacies, after all, and not love.

  Colette wore a white coat dress with gold buttons along the front of it and a black belt high around her swollen belly. Despite being six months pregnant and in her own home, she was still wearing heels after a long day. Colette was a stickler for formality, just like their father. It was one of the reasons Jasmine had taken the time to make herself presentable. Lyle, on the other hand, wore black slacks and a shirt with no tie. His head was shaved on the sides while he left the top long and slicked back.

  Her other sister, Ariana, was eight years older than her and the COO of Hennessy & Co. Ariana was just as intelligent as Colette but had softened after having Bailey and Kye. Their father, Rami Khan, was a brilliant software mogul. He was a quiet man but no less powerful than the others in the room. He wore a sweater vest and had gold Harry Potter glasses perched on his nose.

  “Sorry I’m late,” she announced.

  “I’m glad you could make it,” Colette said.

  She doubted it but kept that thought to herself.

  “What the hell, Minnie?” Lyle snapped.

  “What?” she asked as Ariana shot him a severe look for his language.

  “What are you doing with Roth?” Lyle demanded.

  The smile fell from her lips. “What are you talking about?”

  “There’s a picture of you and him on a gossip site. Colette got tagged in it. Is it true?”

  Her stomach curdled. She had known she would have to bring it up tonight, but she’d been hoping to ease them into it and not have to discuss Roth as soon as she walked in. They were all staring at her, waiting for an explanation. Even Kye and Bailey watched her, realizing something significant was going on, though they didn’t understand it.

  “I went to Colorado to see Kaia. She had a heart attack while I was there, so Roth flew in,” she said.

  Lyle spread his arms. “And? How did he end up with his arm around you at your building?”

  “We flew back together, and he was shielding me from the paparazzi.”

  “And that’s it?” Lyle pushed.

  “Yes.”

  “You know he moved back?” Colette asked.

  She switched her gaze to her oldest sister and raised a brow. “He dropped that tidbit before we came back. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to upset you.”

  “I would rather hear it from you than him.”

  “You’re hardly in the city. I didn’t think you’d run into him,” Colette said with a delicate shrug.

  Before Jasmine could snap, Ariana spoke up. “Are you all right?”

  “Sure,” she said dismissively and kissed Kye on the cheek. If they really cared, they wouldn’t have walked away when she needed them.

  “Let’s eat,” Lyle said as he came forward and gave her a hug. “It’s going to be all right,” he said quietly.

  She gave him a long look. “Whatever you say.”

  Rami took Kye from her and herded his children ahead of them.

  “You can’t do anything without making headlines, can you?” he teased.

  “I have to keep up my reputation,” she said and gave him a hug. “How have you
been, Rami?”

  “Busy, of course,” he said and slung an arm over her shoulder as he led her into the formal dining room.

  She had a better rapport with her brothers-in-law than her sisters. Maximus raised them to be female generals in the male-dominated business world. They had been raised in the public eye and taught from a young age never to show emotion since it was a weakness and could be exploited. Lyle and Rami, on the other hand, were much more casual about showing affection and didn’t feel the need to be super macho.

  She took a seat at the table and reached for the glass of wine waiting for her. Servers came out with artfully arranged Asian cuisine. She wasn’t surprised by the polite inquiries her sisters volleyed her way. They wanted to discuss business and mutual acquaintances she didn’t give a damn about.

  She turned her attention to her niece and nephew who were much more interesting. Kye and Bailey were eager to tell her everything they had seen and learned in the weeks she had been gone. Bailey was learning French and German and switched between them while she spoke. Kye was partial to Spanish and spoke in broken sentences. Her niece and nephew were the main reason she bothered to come when she was still raw from her encounter with Roth. The children were warm and loving and eager to tell her about their lives full of travel, observations, and education. Ariana and Rami were definitely following the same curriculum she had been raised on, aside from boarding school. Her niece and nephew would be attending private school in New York, which meant she would be able to see them more often.

  While the adults discussed market swings, capital gains, and investors, she focused on the kids. She had never connected with her sisters, but the kids were a beacon in her otherwise dreary world.

  “Mommy says you miss Papa a lot,” Bailey said.

  She blinked back the instant flood of tears. “She’s right.”

  Bailey pressed a hand against her cheek, compassion radiating from her eyes. “It’s going to be okay. Papa’s in a better place.”

  She nodded as a tear slipped down her cheek. “Yes, he is.”

  “Miss Papa,” Kye piped up.

  She pulled him against her and kissed the top of his head. “Me too, baby.”

  “Are you going back to the castle?” Bailey asked as she got up on her knees on the chair.

  Her mouth curved. “Yes.”

  Bailey glanced at her mom before she leaned forward. “Can I come?”

  “I think she has you on a tight schedule.”

  “But if you tell her you’re sad, she might let me come with you.”

  Bailey was definitely learning the art of negotiation quickly. She was logical and persuasive and not even five years old.

  “Come too!” Kye said loudly before his sister shushed him.

  “I’ve been away for a while. I have some work to do, but if your mom lets you, I’ll pick you up in a week or two,” she said.

  Bailey sighed and sank back into her seat, arms crossed. “I want to see the horses.”

  “You will.”

  “I want to see them now.”

  She tapped her niece’s nose. “Be good and you will. No pouting.”

  After dinner, she played with Kye and Bailey before Ariana declared it was time for bed. She kissed the kids before Rami took them two floors down to their penthouse. Lyle locked himself in his office while she and her sisters, by mutual accord, settled in the grand living room.

  When Jasmine glanced at the fire, memories of her and Roth fucking in front of a similar blaze swamped her before Colette cleared her throat.

  “You haven’t responded to my messages,” she said.

  Jasmine switched her attention to her sister as remnants of the flames danced in her eyes. “I don’t know what we have to talk about.”

  Colette and Ariana glanced at one another. They were so in sync with one another that talking wasn’t necessary. Growing up beneath two talented, gorgeous sisters hadn’t been easy. She was always ten steps behind, and no matter what, she would never catch up. Roth freed her from the Hennessy mold. She stopped trying to be the perfect daughter and employee and decided to be herself. Her sisters played a high stakes game she wasn’t built for. She was glad she had gotten out before she married Ford and got stuck in a world where money was king and image was everything. When she broke off her engagement, her sisters had been just as angry as their father. Her sisters didn’t reach out during the estrangement, and when she reconciled with their father, Colette and Ariana went along with it but not without sharing a lot of long looks. She had always been an outsider.

  “This news with Roth is… unexpected,” Ariana said, obviously trying to ease the tension in the room.

  Her pussy pulsed. She crossed her ankles and fisted her hands in her lap.

  “Do you think it’s a coincidence that he came back to New York after Dad passed?” Colette asked.

  She blinked. “What?”

  “He moved back right after the funeral.”

  She frowned. “Of course, it’s a coincidence. What else could it be?”

  Colette and Ariana glanced at one another again.

  Ariana sat forward. “We reacted badly when the will was read. We wanted to let you know we don’t harbor any resentments about your inheritance.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second,” she said. After dealing with Roth, her patience was at an all-time low. She wasn’t interested in their polite bullshit.

  Her sister’s visibly stiffened. It was clear they weren’t expecting her to be so blunt.

  “I didn’t know that he named me as the executor,” she said, looking directly at Colette. “And I didn’t know I would inherit his remaining assets. I never asked for anything.”

  Colette lowered her gaze while Ariana shifted uncomfortably.

  “You walked out after the will was read,” Jasmine continued. “You forced me to make that decision about Dad alone. You weren’t there when he passed.” Her breath caught, and she looked at the fire as she fought to keep her composure. “Be honest for once. You were pissed.”

  “You’re right.”

  Colette sat on the edge of the couch, calves pressed together and angled to the side like a royal. If she hadn’t seen Colette vomit before, she might suspect her sister wasn’t human. She never showed weakness, but at the moment, something was different about her.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to be the executor or sole heir,” Colette said, voice hesitating uncertainly as she searched for words. “I reacted horribly.” Colette inclined her head. “I’m very sorry, Minnie.”

  “I didn’t handle it any better,” Ariana added. “I apologize.”

  Jasmine didn’t react. She wasn’t sure what was more shocking. Seeing Roth or receiving an apology from her sisters.

  No one had been more astounded by her father’s will than her. Before she could come to terms with the fact that her father’s fate rested in her hands, the attorney announced that she had inherited his remaining assets, valued at over three hundred million dollars. While she was trying to comprehend all of this, Colette and Ariana had walked out of the room and left her to deal with the decision to take her father off life support and make the funeral arrangements alone. Standing beside her father’s casket, she had never felt more alone. Her father’s peers had made it clear that she didn’t measure up to her sisters. No amount of time would bury the scandal she caused, and it resurfaced every time she did. Despite her reconciliation with Maximus, she didn’t expect anything. Maximus was a hard man who never went back on his decrees. Her sisters kept Hennessy & Co going after he got sick, and they worked their butts off while she walked her own path. She didn’t think she deserved anything, but at some point, Maximus had a change of heart and hadn’t told any of them about it.

  “We received letters,” Colette said.

  “Letters from who?” Jasmine asked as she brushed a hand over her eye.

  “Dad,” Ariana said. “We both got one. Written six months ago, they were delivered a couple of days ago. He exp
lained his reasons for making you his sole heir.”

  Jasmine leaned forward. “What did he say?”

  “I’m sure you have a letter waiting for you at his estate that explains that,” Colette said and rubbed her temples.

  It was clear the pregnancy affected her. Normally stoic, decisive, and straightforward, Colette looked uncharacteristically weary.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “The doctor said she’s supposed to be on bedrest,” Ariana explained as she rubbed Colette’s lower back. “You need to lie down.”

  “I will in a little while.” Colette tried to maintain her erect posture. “We left you with a heavy burden you didn’t ask for, and I’m sorry. I don’t know how we can make it up to you. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

  Jasmine looked down at her hands as her emotions stirred.

  “You forgave him after he disowned you and were there for him when he really needed you,” Colette said as she rubbed her tummy. “You gave him the best years of his life.”

  Jasmine’s mouth trembled as grief rose again, so strong that she couldn’t take a full breath.

  “You did the right thing, Minnie,” Ariana said. “You didn’t let him suffer. You let him go.”

  She buried her face in her hands as the tears came. Soft, feminine voices murmured comfortingly as her sisters settled on either side of her. Colette tipped her sideways, onto her lap, which only made her cry harder. Hands moved through her hair as the tears she thought she got rid of in Colorado made another appearance. Grief made even the most hardened people offer her comfort. First Roth and now Colette. What was the world coming to?

  “We got our inheritance years ago when he divided his remaining shares of Hennessy & Co between Colette and me. You never said a thing,” Ariana said.

  “Why would I?” Jasmine asked hoarsely.

  “You’re a Hennessy.”

  She never felt like a real Hennessy. She didn’t embody the traits that made their family so respected and revered in society. The only thing she had done was cause problems with her father’s partners and taint their family name with scandal. And for what? A man who hadn’t even loved her. She didn’t deserve anything her father or sisters had worked so hard for.