Trusting the Billionaire (Weston Brothers Book 2)

by C. C. Snow

  He must have seen how close I was to the edge because he walked to the door, never taking his eyes off of me. Taking a card out of his pocket, he dropped it onto the floor. “My personal contact is on there. Two weeks, darling. If you get the list to me, I will hand over all the evidence to you and your boyfriend can stay ignorant of your dirty secrets.”

  “How do I know you won’t blackmail me again?”

  “You don’t.” His smile was pure poison. “And I’m sure you’re too selfish to consider the consequences of a takeover, but may I remind you that your sisters would be hurt by it, including your precious Gwen?”

  As soon as the door closed behind him, my legs lost their strength and I fell to my knees. Sharp pain shot up my legs, but it was nothing compared to the debilitating torment in my chest. The letter opener clattered out of my hand. Curling my body into a ball, my forehead touching the floor, I shuddered in grief. Tears poured down my cheeks, dripping down my chin, forming a small puddle. Ragged sounds pushed out of my mouth as I tried to expel the desolation in my heart.

  No matter how hard I ran, I would never outrun my past. I slapped my hands on the hardwood in hopeless despair.

  All my life I tried to be a good person—a good daughter, a good friend, a good girlfriend—but I always fell short. My father and mother found me utterly lacking. The only true friend I had made in my twenty-six years was Ethan. As for men, all I seemed capable of making was mistakes. The biggest one was to fall for Carter’s glib lies, but I had continued on my road of self-destruction by lying to Troy.

  My world of dirty lies and secrets made me unworthy of him.

  Cheaters cheat because they want to, not because circumstances force them to. They don’t have any scruples about hurting people because all they care about is themselves—their pleasure, their desires.

  Hearing Troy’s words in my head, I laughed bitterly, tears and snot commingling on my face.

  I flipped onto my side and stared sightlessly. My hips and shoulders protested at the pressure of the unyielding floor, but I ignored my physical discomfort.

  Maybe Carter and Evelyn were right. I was trash and I should stop fighting my true nature. After all, I had inherited my lack of morals from my parents. Neither one of them understood the meaning of honor, loyalty, or love.

  Just give Carter what he wants, Elle. Troy never has to know.

  I shook my head, trying to dislodge that insidious voice, but it was strong and persistent.

  If you don’t, you’re going to lose him.

  “I don’t want to keep him through lies,” I whispered.

  It’s not a lie. You’re just not revealing an irrelevant fact, like Ethan said.

  “I’m not going to sabotage his plans for SC,” I said, starting to feel like Smeagol having a conversation with Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.

  He doesn’t need more money. Besides, if you play your cards right, he’d never know you were behind it.

  I slammed my hands over my ears, as if I could block out that inner voice, but the seeds had already been planted. I didn’t know how long I laid on the floor, but the sound of my phone dragged me back to reality.

  I pushed up to a sitting position, feeling like I had aged thirty years, and shuffled into my bedroom. Picking up my phone, I grimaced at seeing Cora’s number.

  “Hi, Cora,” I said, wincing at the sound of my hoarse voice.

  “Elle, are you okay?”

  The trace of concern in her voice made my heart fist.

  If you don’t give Carter what he wants, you’re going to lose everything, including your job.

  Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose in an attempt to stave off another sob. Losing my job was at the very bottom of my priority list. “I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. I think I’m coming down with a cold so I’d better skip lunch.”

  “Oh you poor thing. Do you need anything? Medicine? Soup?”

  A sob escaped me and I faked a cough to cover it up. “Thanks, but I’m fine. I’ll take some Nyquil and stay in bed.”

  “Alright. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. Please stay home for as long as you need next week. I can always ask Mrs. Miche to come help with Aiden.”

  “Thanks, Cora.” I hung up and walked out of the bedroom. I twisted my head and the card on the floor caught my eye. Bending down, I picked it up with shaking fingers. Hatred surged through me with the force of a tsunami and I crumpled the thick stock in my fist.

  My phone rang and I looked at the screen, my heart throbbing with pain at seeing Troy’s face. Cora must have called him after she got off the phone with me. I tapped to answer and brought it to my ear, but I couldn’t get my voice to work.

  “Baby, you there?”

  I only managed a small incomprehensible murmur.

  “You sound terrible. I’ll be over in half an hour.”

  The thought of having to see him jumpstarted my vocal chords. “No,” I croaked. “I don’t want you to catch anything.”

  “I never get sick,” he said.

  At another time, his cocky tone would have made me roll my eyes. Instead, I felt my heart grow heavier. “No, stay with Jake and your dad,” I said. “You’re not going to be able to help me.” The truth of my words sunk in and I felt my eyes well up again. “I just need to take some medicine and go to sleep.”

  “Baby, are you sure?”

  “Yes.” I felt the tears trail down my cheeks. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Okay. I love you.”

  I closed my eyes. Losing this man would shatter my world. “I love you too.” I hung up and unfurled my fingers, staring at the mangled card.

  And wondered if I could sell my soul to save my heart.

  ***

  The days passed in a numb stupor. I kept my calls brief with Troy, claiming I was too tired. Ethan tried to question me about what happened, but I told him I wasn’t ready to talk.

  I took Cora up on her offer to stay home on Monday.

  I was drowsing when I heard my bedroom door open.

  “Go away, Ethan,” I said in a weary voice. I appreciated my best friend’s concern, but I just wanted to be left alone.

  “It’s me.”

  At the sound of Troy’s deep voice, my eyes flew open. At the sight of his gorgeous face, my eyes clouded with tears and I sniffled. I should tell him to leave, but all I wanted to do was to cling onto him.

  “Poor baby,” he crooned and strode over to the bed. He leaned down and touched my forehead, blue-green eyes dark with worry.

  Instinctively, I pressed into his touch. I had missed him so damn much. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work? How did you get into the apartment?” I asked, sounding like an eighty-year-old smoker. I probably looked worse. My hair was a tangled mess and my face was pale and swollen. At least I was clean. Ethan had bullied me into taking a shower this morning before he left for his date with Aaron.

  “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be—at my sick girlfriend’s side,” he said firmly and sat on the bed. “And I called Ethan and picked up his keys. You don’t seem to have a fever.” His eyes moved over me with concern. “Maybe we should go see a doctor.”

  “No.” I shook my head, dropping my eyes to the sheets. “I don’t need a doctor. I don’t have any symptoms anymore and should be fully recovered by tomorrow.”

  I felt the weight of his stare for long moments. Finally he asked, “Did you eat yet?”

  “I’m not hungry.” I couldn’t even remember when I last wanted to eat.

  He pressed a kiss against my temple and then left the room. Five minutes later, he returned with a bowl and spoon. “I got you some minestrone soup.”

  “Troy, you should go back to work. I’m really fine,” I said.

  Ignoring me, he put the bowl on the dresser next to my bed. He slid his arm under me and lifted up my torso, piling two pillows against the headboard. I leaned back, my eyes drinking him in hungrily.

  I lifted my hand and t
ouched the small lines bracketing his mouth. “You’re so beautiful.”

  His gaze sharpened. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  Shit. That hint of sorrow in my voice had given me away. Forcing a smile on my face, I said, “Am I such a terrible girlfriend that hearing a compliment from me makes you suspicious?”

  I let out a small sigh of relief when I saw his eyes crinkle with amusement.

  “You’re the most amazing girlfriend in the world and I wouldn’t mind hearing more about how sexy you find me,” he said with a wink and picked up the bowl of soup. “But after you finish eating.”

  Now that the delicious smell of vegetables reached my nose, I realized I was hungry. Taking the bowl from him, I started to scoop the hot soup into my mouth. It didn’t take me long to finish everything.

  “You want more?” he asked.

  I shook my head and sunk deeper into the pillows.

  He took the empty bowl out of the room and returned within minutes. “Is there anything else you need, baby? Do you want any cold medication?”

  “No.” I glanced up at him and asked for what I really needed, “Can you just hold me?”

  His face softening, he started to loosen his tie. “You don’t need to ask twice, baby.”

  I watched him strip down to his boxers, mentally recording every fluid movement, every perfect line of his body, every harsh angle of his bones. I held the comforter up and he crawled into bed with me. The bed was too small to easily accommodate both of us side-by-side and he solved the problem by hauling my body half on top of his. Nestling my head under his chin, I let my curves soften along his body, reveling in his hot skin.

  “I missed you,” I whispered into the hollow of his neck.

  “I missed you too, baby.” He slipped his hand under my t-shirt and caressed my spine. “I should have come on Saturday.”

  If he had come on Saturday, I would have had a meltdown. “No, it’s better that you stayed away. I slept for the whole day anyway. Did you win your game?”

  His chuckle made his chest vibrate. “Nobody ever wins against my father except pros.”

  “You’re so lucky to have such a wonderful family,” I said wistfully, envious of how close he was to them. How they stood by him through thick and thin.

  “They are pretty awesome.” He kissed my hair. “And they think you’re pretty awesome too.”

  The back of my throat got itchy and tight and I swallowed rapidly, trying to hold off my tears. I had so much to lose if I didn’t give in to Carter’s demands.

  I ran a finger along his collarbone and asked, “Troy, can I ask you a hypothetical question?”

  “Of course. What is it?”

  “What is the one thing in the world you could never forgive me for doing?”

  His hand stilled and he angled his head to look at my face. “Why would you ask that?”

  “I’m not going to run out and do it, if that’s what you’re thinking,” I said wryly, feeling a jab of hurt that he would even go there. He’d probably think a lot worse if he knew my history. I swallowed again. “I’m just curious.”

  He smiled and kissed my nose. “Nothing. There’s nothing you could do that I wouldn’t forgive you for.”

  Using my arms to brace my weight on the mattress, I pushed myself off his chest. “Nothing? What if I cheated on you?”

  The look of fury on his face was terrifying. I pressed my hand to his taut face. “Baby, I’d never do that to you. I’m just trying to get you to give me an honest answer.”

  The tension slowly left his face and he looked up at the ceiling.

  I lowered my head back to his shoulder.

  “Cheating would be at the top of my list. Also doing anything to hurt my family.”

  I blinked the moisture out of my eyes. Sabotaging his family’s company would hurt this family. “How about lying?”

  “Depends on the reason for the lie.”

  When I remained quiet, he asked, “How about you, baby? What is on your list of unforgivable sins?”

  My throat constricted. “Nothing.”

  He tilted my head to look at him, his eyes wide with surprise. “What if I cheated on you?”

  My gaze steady, I said, “Depends on the reason. And depends on whether you loved me enough to never do it again.”

  Something shifted behind his eyes. “I love you enough never to do it in the first place,” he said in a thick voice.

  I closed the gap and kissed him. The need to be physically connected with him was sudden and overwhelming. Only the white-hot passion between us could rid me of that black sludge left by Carter. Only this beautiful man could make me feel clean again.

  “Make love to me,” I said, sitting up and tugging my t-shirt over my head, leaving me in my cotton bikinis. My nipples beaded into hard points in the cool air.

  “Baby, you’ve been sick,” he protested, but I felt his cock swelling against my ass.

  Undulating my hips, I rubbed my pussy against his erection. “I told you I’m fine.” With some contorted moves, I managed to get my panties off and then reached for his cock, feeling it harden in my hands. “I need you.”

  With a groan, he brushed my hands away and shucked off his underwear.

  I didn’t wait. Raising my hips, I grasped his shaft, positioned him at the entrance to my body, and pressed down. I wasn’t wet enough to take him easily, but I needed the burning pain. I wanted to feel his possession of me long after our bodies had disconnected.

  He cupped my breasts, his thumbs abrading my buds.

  And I was instantly drenched.

  With a needy cry, I started to ride him. I wanted it to go on for hours, but I didn’t last for longer than five minutes with Troy’s hips pushing up into all my secret spots and his mouth pulling on my nipples. I came calling out his name.

  Then he pulled out of me, flipped me on my back, and pulled my legs over his shoulders. My fingers dug into his scalp as he brought me to another powerful climax with his mouth and tongue. Then he pushed back into me with a moan.

  He must have sensed my desperate mood because he used my body hard, wringing every drop of pleasure out of me until I was almost insensate. Only then did he let go, jetting deep inside of me.

  We both dozed off, but even half-conscious, I held tightly onto him.

  Chapter 20

  “Cora, do you know anything about hostile takeovers?” I asked, setting a cup of peppermint tea in front of her.

  After Troy left the other night, I lay awake, examining my problem from every possible angle. The only thing I knew for certain was that I wasn’t ready to roll over for my asshole of an ex. He had been the instrument of my unhappiness and torment for far too long and I refused to let him win.

  I got up the next day with renewed determination. If there was a way to get out of this shitstorm, I was going to find it.

  Two more days had passed, but I was no closer to a solution and my anxiety was mounting.

  “Thanks.” She took a sip of the hot beverage before replying. “A little. I bet Troy knows a lot more than I do,” she said with a slight crease between her brows.

  I sat down in the chair facing her, my palms nervously rubbing my knees. “I’ll ask him when I see him, but can you give me the basic rundown?”

  “Sure, but why are you asking about hostile takeovers?

  I picked my words carefully. “A friend of mine owns stock in a company that might be in trouble.”

  Her frown deepened. “That’s not good news. If your friend needs advice, I’m sure Jake or Troy would be happy to help.”

  “Thanks. If it worsens, I’ll pass on the offer to her,” I lied.

  She nodded. “A hostile takeover is when company A is trying to take over company B against company B’s wishes.” Cora continued to describe the ways that a company can accomplish a takeover. “But they’re pretty rare nowadays. It something executives did decades ago, but it’s hard to orchestrate. It tends to turn into a messy battle when the target company tries to
make the deal unpalatable.”

  “What would be the motivation for a company to try to take over another one?”

  She shrugged and wrinkled her brow. “Mainly because company A sees something that will increase their bottom line. It might be an asset they covet. Or they think the company is being mismanaged and they could increase the profitability.”

  I sifted through all the information she had given me. “So if a company is managed well, they’d never be the target of a hostile takeover?”

  “I don’t see why they would be.”

  So the lying piece of turd was running the company to the ground. Shit. Even if I did what he asked, he was eventually going to ruin SC.

  “What happens to company B once it’s been acquired?”

  “It all depends on company A’s management. Maybe it’s something simple like taking out the top executives and replacing them. If they don’t think the company is salvageable, they could also choose to break up the company’s assets and sell them piecemeal.”

  My heart dipped at hearing the last. I honestly didn’t give a damn about my father or Carter, but there was Gwen to consider. Financially she would be fine without her stocks, but I knew she wanted to make the company—her family legacy—a success again.

  “So how do you prevent a takeover?”

  “Well, you can do a number of things—golden parachutes, poison pills...” She went on to describe each tactic and added, “But the board of directors has to initiate all of that. The only other tactic is for the target company to ask a white knight to step in, basically a third party who can swoop in to save company A. That’s what Jake did when he saved Datapoynt.”

  I scooted to the edge of the chair. “How does it work?”

  Cora recounted her husband’s rescue of cyber security company with a incongruously dreamy look.

  “Thanks, Cora,” I said after she finished, my mind working frenziedly to sort through my options.

  There were pathetically few.

  If the board of SC had not employed any tactics to stop the takeover, there was nothing I could do. I didn’t have the funds or connections to find a white knight. The one person who could have stepped in was Troy and he was trying to take SC down.