The Rules

by Delaney Diamond

  “Xavier,” Trenton said, obviously enjoying the moment by the smug smile on his face.

  Xavier slid a few stapled pages across the table to Cyrus. “Over the course of a week, we asked Gavin to tweet about the new vanilla flavored brew that’s popular in California—again, using geographic pinpointing. We had to temporarily increase production at the Portland plant because of the rise in demand.”

  Cyrus stroked his jaw, staring down at the numbers. “That’s a notable spike.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Social media is the new word-of-mouth,” Gavin interjected. “It’s not the only way to spread the word about a product, but it’s a very effective way to do it. We could offer coupons, let customers know about new beer flavors, share videos—the options are limitless.”

  Cyrus frowned. “We already have social media accounts to handle those things.”

  Trenton sat down. “But the personal touch isn’t there. That’s the difference.”

  Xavier folded his hands on the table and went in for the kill. “We’re not suggesting Gavin become our main focus. We’re suggesting he be added to the list of things we’re already doing. If we can effectively use his image, we could end up becoming the number one beer company in the country within the next few years.”

  Such a lofty goal caught Cyrus’s attention. He looked around the table at all of them. “Number one,” he repeated in a low voice.

  If they became number one in the country, they would achieve the goal their father dreamed of one day accomplishing.

  “How much money are we talking about to launch this campaign?” Cyrus asked.

  Trenton placed a bound report in front of Cyrus. The eldest flipped the booklet open, scanned the text, and then flipped several pages over to the financial projections.

  Time dragged as he punched numbers into the calculator on his phone. Gavin, Trenton, Xavier, and Ivy knew that if anyone could find holes in their idea, Cyrus could. They glanced at each other, waiting for the final verdict.

  Ivy pulled her thumb between her teeth. Trenton and Xavier leaned across the table, eyeing Cyrus’s calculations. Gavin tapped his feet.

  At last, Cyrus looked up, a competitive gleam in his dark eyes and a slow smile sliding across his face. “Let’s do it.” He leaned forward, and Gavin was struck by how much he looked like their father right then. “Let’s take the number one spot. Let’s show them what Full Moon beer and the Johnson family are made of.”

  “Yes!” Trenton pumped his fist.

  Ivy clapped her hands and broke into a big grin, and Xavier gave Gavin the thumbs-up sign.

  Cyrus turned to Gavin, and for the first time in years, he saw respect in his brother’s eyes.

  “Welcome to the family business,” Cyrus said.

  ****

  Today turned out to be the best day Gavin experienced in a long time, but he no longer wore a smile when he caught up with Cyrus outside his office at the end of the day. His wife Daniella, as elegant as ever in a chocolate pantsuit with her long hair cascading over her shoulders, was holding the diaper bag. Cyrus held his son, Michael, in his arms, playfully tweaking the almost-one-year-old’s nose. The little boy wrinkled his nose and laughed happily at the game.

  “Hi, Gavin,” Daniella said.

  “Hello, Daniella.” He gave his sister-in-law a brief hug.

  Cyrus’s questioning eyes met his. “You need something?”

  “Do you have a sec? I need to talk to you privately for a moment.”

  “Here, let me take him. We’ll meet you down in the car.” Daniella lifted Michael from Cyrus’s arms.

  With a pitiful pout, the little boy stretched out his hands to his father and babbled incoherently.

  “Don’t be so cranky. Daddy will join us soon,” Daniella cooed, nuzzling her son’s neck.

  Both Gavin and Cyrus watched them leave the suite of offices before entering Cyrus’s domain and shutting the door.

  “What did you need to talk to me about?” Cyrus studied Gavin with intense, perceptive eyes, a complete one-eighty from the soft, affectionate gaze he’d bestowed on his son.

  “I need your guy to look into something for me.”

  “What?” Cyrus asked, folding his arms.

  “A case that involved Terri.”

  Cyrus’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “You’ve been done with her for months.”

  Gavin ran a hand down the back of his head. “Yeah, I know, but I haven’t been able to forget something she said.”

  “What did she say?”

  “‘You don’t know the whole story,’” he answered.

  Unable to help himself, Gavin had done some preliminary digging on his own, but the bits and pieces he managed to put together didn’t give him the entire picture. On the one hand, it seemed as if Terri was a willing participant in her boyfriend’s criminal activities and turned on him solely for the opportunity to get immunity. On the other, he recalled her panic the night they played with the cucumber and the pained expression in her eyes when she admitted, He hurt me. A lot.

  “I need him to pull together anything he can find about the Talon Cyrenci case in Georgia. Court transcripts, government files, photos, and anything else he can get his hands on.”

  Maybe there was more to the story. Maybe he was looking for excuses to accept her. Whatever the case, he had to know the whole truth.

  Cyrus went around the desk and unlocked the top drawer. He removed a card, locked the desk, and handed the card to Gavin. “I’ll let you handle it,” he said.

  There was only a first name and number on the card.

  “I hope you find what you’re looking for,” Cyrus said.

  Gavin swallowed, worried he may find more than he wanted to know but ready to take the plunge. “Thanks.”

  ****

  Gavin pulled up outside Aldi’s Market. He left his tie and jacket in the car and strolled into the specialty store. In the deli section, a platter of antipasti awaited with his name on it. Aldi, a French Moroccan and the owner, was working behind the counter.

  “Bonsoir, Aldi. How’s it going?”

  “Bonsoir, Gavin, how are you?”

  “Never been better, and looking forward to the platter you have prepared for me.”

  “Ah, yes. I’ll be right back.” Aldi hurried to the back and returned with a platter that made Gavin’s mouth water. It contained artichoke hearts, olives, thinly sliced salami, marinated tomatoes, pickles, and two different types of cheeses.

  “This looks great. I’ve got a date with this late night snack and a movie tonight.”

  “No pretty lady for you?”

  “Not tonight, my friend.” He’d thought about going out but changed his mind at the last minute. Gavin handed over the cash and Aldi gave him his change. “Later.”

  Aldi wished him a good night, and Gavin headed toward the front of the store. Walking down the aisle, he side-stepped a woman and her small brood of three as they pushed a cart filled with groceries. He smiled at the little girl, who looked up at him and grinned, and was so distracted that he took three more steps before he saw a very familiar back. One that he could never possibly forget—clothed or unclothed—and his traitorous heart jolted with unexpected joy.

  Gavin stopped in the middle of the aisle and watched her. The bright red top she wore was unusually large, with big sleeves that came down to her elbows and reminded him of trumpets. It fell to the middle of her thighs so he couldn’t see her beautiful behind, but he knew it was Terri. She had her hair up in a ponytail that exposed her neck, which he’d know anywhere, even with a blindfold on. He’d kissed it often and listened to the accompanying breathless laughs too many times to count.

  Reason returned and consumed the happiness he instinctively felt, replacing it with sadness. Her testimony of what Talon Cyrenci had done to her gutted him. The pain she must have suffered at the hands of such a monster, all because he wanted to keep her in line and made sure she did what he demanded. But Cyrenci underestimated her.
She plotted with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and the local police to bring him down. Almost single-handedly, she toppled his multi-million-dollar criminal enterprise while enduring unspeakable abuse in the process.

  He wanted to at least apologize and let her know that he did know the whole story. He was proud of her. She was not only the bravest woman he’d ever met, she was strong enough to have recovered from years of abuse and live a healthy and productive life.

  The next thing he knew, he was standing a few feet behind her. “Terri.”

  He said her name softly, but she swung around as if he’d yelled it. Eyes wide, she clutched a box of gourmet cheese straws and stared at him.

  Her reaction seemed completely out of whack to the situation at hand, except when Gavin’s gaze descended below her breasts, he realized why she had such a strong response.

  His eyes shifted back to hers. “You’re pregnant.”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  All Terri could do was stare. His mouth was slightly ajar, and his light brown eyes had widened to the size of quarters.

  “It’s mine, isn’t it?”

  Not knowing what to expect, Terri placed an arm across her stomach, and her fingers tightened around the handle of the small red basket she carried. “Leave me alone.”

  “That answers my question.” His mouth tightened and nostrils flared. “More fucking secrets, Terri? How long did you think you could keep something like this from me?” he demanded, his voice raw.

  “Indefinitely,” she shot back, defiant.

  Dammit. Why did she have to have to come here tonight, craving expensive items like gourmet cheese straws dipped in creamy gelato?

  “You never planned to tell me?”

  “You told me we were done, and I accepted your decision.”

  His eyes narrowed. “What game are you playing?”

  “I’m not playing a game.”

  They both kept their eyes on a woman who passed by them, her gaze lingering on Gavin. She looked about to speak—perhaps because she recognized him—then thought better of it and hurried past.

  Gavin waited until the woman walked out of earshot before he spoke again. “That child you’re carrying is a goldmine. You know it and I know.”

  “I don’t want your damn money or anything else from you. Is that really so hard for you to believe?”

  “You expect me to believe you’re different from everyone else in this world?”

  “I don’t give damn what you think. You can go fuck yourself.”

  Fire flared in his eyes, and for tense seconds, they simply stared at each other.

  “You have some explaining to do,” Gavin said.

  “I don’t owe you any explanation,” Terri snapped back. What right did he have to be angry at her? She hadn’t approached him. He approached her.

  “We need to talk.” He tugged the basket from her hand. “What else are you getting?”

  She wanted to yell and scream. Kick him. She wanted to be left alone, but instead angled her chin higher and faced him squarely. “I’m done shopping. This was the last item on my list.” She tossed the box of cheese straws on top of the other groceries.

  Without another word, Gavin stalked away, fully expecting her to follow him. Arrogant ass.

  Beautiful ass, she thought, albeit reluctantly, her gaze lowering to his tight behind.

  She trailed after him and at the cashier’s stand, he shot her a dark look when she pulled out her purse to pay for the items. Immediately, she tucked the wallet back into her bag and stood silently fuming beside him.

  At the end of the transaction, he paid for the groceries and in his hand carried the two paper sacks by the handles, his platter of antipasti, and marched out of the market.

  Sulking, Terri shot daggers at the back of his head. Who did he think he was? They were done. She wasn’t good enough for him or his precious family. Her past would embarrass him. His words still stung.

  You know who I am. You know who my family is.

  He’d dumped her without giving her a chance to work things out. His so-called love had been frail and conditional, and she was disgusted with herself for the moments of weakness when she’d groveled and even worse—admitted she loved him.

  “Are you going to talk to me?” she asked.

  His long strides led them to a black sedan parked near the beginning of a row of cars. As they approached, a driver hopped out of the front seat and opened the back door.

  Terri stopped a few feet away. “I’m not leaving with you.”

  “Yes, you are.” Gavin didn’t even turn in her direction.

  “No, I’m not.”

  He swung around. “Get in the car. This isn’t up for debate.”

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “To your apartment. Wherever the hell that is,” he said derisively.

  “My apartment is perfectly fine. It’s not a condo at the Four Seasons, but it’s all I could afford after I pawned a lovely ruby necklace that some asshole gave me.”

  His head jerked back as if she’d slapped him. She’d wanted to hurt him, and clearly did, but immediately regretted her petty revenge. The necklace had been a glaring reminder of their relationship and she’d not only wanted to get rid of it, she’d needed the cash while she figured out what to do. Then she found out she was pregnant.

  Terri glanced at the driver, who carefully kept his eyes averted during their argument, staring at an object in the distance.

  “I don’t want anything, Gavin.”

  “Everybody wants something.”

  “Not me.” The only thing she’d wanted, dared to reach for, was his love. But he had callously withdrawn it.

  With extra care, Gavin set the platter on top of the car. He took a deep breath and then walked over to where she stood, looking down at her with such fury in his eyes, her insides quaked. When he spoke, his tone was low enough that the driver couldn’t hear, but the perfect pitch for Terri to pick up every word. “There’s something you need to understand right now. That baby is half mine, a Johnson, and will have all the privileges that come with that name. I’m worth billions. There’s no way I’m going to have my child out in the world, struggling while I’m driving around in chauffeured cars and eating the finest cuts of meat money can buy. I told you before I don’t take no for an answer, and I meant it. Get in the goddamn car. Now. Or I’ll drag you in.”

  He turned again and disappeared inside the dark interior of the sedan with all the foodstuffs. Terri stood there a few more seconds, partly to annoy him, but partly because she didn’t want to go with him.

  His face had been stony during their entire interaction. The Gavin she used to know smiled and laughed and teased. She wanted him to make an appearance, because she missed that Gavin. To her shame, she needed him.

  Cheeks burning, she glanced at the chauffeur, whose erect posture and politely averted eyes must come from years of practice. She was angry, too. Angry that Gavin thought he could railroad her and take over her life after such a long time apart.

  But she was no fool. She gathered up the courage necessary to handle him and what was to come and joined him in the back seat.

  ****

  Terri stared at Gavin as his eyes scanned the new efficiency she rented in the same complex she lived in before.

  “How far along are you?” He spoke in tight, clipped tones.

  “A little over four months,” Terri answered.

  “You can’t raise a baby here. Certainly not my child.”

  Terri crossed her arms over her swollen stomach. “I’m not staying here much longer. A cousin of mine in Tampa is going to let me stay with her for a while.” Since she couldn’t risk returning to Atlanta, she called her closest cousin, Tracy, who offered her guest bedroom to Terri without judgment or reservation.

  “You’re moving to Florida?” Gavin asked, a peculiar note to his voice.

  Her eyes sought his, but she couldn’t read anything in his expression. His face remained stoic a
nd emotionless.

  “That’s the plan. I can’t afford to stay in Seattle and raise…” She took a deep breath. “Raise two children. I’m not pregnant with one baby.” Her fingers spread protectively over the lives in her womb. “I’m having twins.”

  His nostrils flared. “Like me and Ivy.”

  “And me and Damian.”

  Gavin paced the floor. “There’s only one solution.” He stopped pacing and faced her. “We have to get married.”

  Laughing, Terri shuffled back a step and watched his eyes darken. “Is that your idea of a proposal?”

  “Under the circumstances, that’s the best you’re going to get,” Gavin snapped.

  “Well, I don’t want to marry you, and I’m sure your precious family wouldn’t want me to be a part of it. So forgive me, but I’ll have to pass on the enticing offer. You want to take care of your kids, fine. But I’m moving to Florida to get what little support I can from my cousin, and I’m not marrying you.”

  After the callous way he dismissed her, it never crossed her mind that he’d want to have anything to do with children made up of half her DNA. For her part, she never thought she would refuse a wedding proposal from the man she loved. With Gavin, she could have everything she ever wanted—a home, a husband, a family. But it would all be a lie, a front. Because he didn’t love her anymore. And the pain of it, to live through that, would be unbearable.

  Instead of ranting and raving, Gavin spoke in a suspiciously calm voice. “Understand that you cannot keep my kids from me.”

  “I have no intention of keeping you apart, but this isn’t a package deal.”

  “I’m afraid it is. Johnson men don’t have baby mamas. Our children will be born within the confines of marriage. That’s the way it’s always been and that won’t change with me.”

  “You can strut around beating your chest all you want, but we’re not doing this. You can’t make me.”

  “I have no intention of making you.” He continued to speak in the same deceptively calm voice.

  Terri eyed him suspiciously. “You don’t?”