Chapter 23
Riley stayed at my place all weekend, and it was without a doubt the best goddamn weekend of my life. Forty-eight hours of fucking her brains out. By the time I finally took her to her car on Sunday evening, I’d filled her with so much cum, it would be seeping out of her all week.
I didn’t want her to leave. I’d keep her locked in my penthouse twenty-four seven if I could, fucking her all day and night until we both passed out.
But she’d resent me for it. She needs some sense of independence and to feel like she has control over something. Thank fuck she at least submits to me in the bedroom, considering she fights me on damn near everything else.
But I like that fight in her, even if it drives me up the wall sometimes.
So I eventually gave in, driving her back to her car still parked at Tracy”s, and getting a quick blow job before she jumped out.
She won’t admit it, stubborn as she is, but I saw the spark of excitement in her eyes when I told her to give me one. It was dark outside, and with the window tint, no one would be able to see into my car. Still, the prospect of someone catching us turned her on. She didn’t even hesitate as she reached across the center console and undid my pants.
Turns out Riley is a little kinky.
Even when I set out to punish her for what she did at the club Friday night, I couldn’t follow through with it. She was getting so turned on by me slapping her pussy, I had to let her come.
And fuck if it wasn’t the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. Her pussy absolutely drenched, swollen and red from my hand, tears streaking down her face as she cried out in absolute ecstasy.
It makes me wonder just how far I can push her. And I–the selfless man that I am–am more than willing to test that boundary for her.
This is what’s running through my mind as I walk into her office three days later for another meeting with Adam.
When she stands to greet me, I can’t help but wonder if she can still feel me between her legs. I hope so.
“Hey, baby.” I walk behind her desk to plant a quick kiss on her cheek.
She’s dressed down today, in dark skinny jeans and a big, cream-colored sweater, her hair swept over a shoulder and a shy little smile on her face. She looks beautiful.
I tug aside the collar of her sweater, looking for the mark I left on her last weekend. It’s still there, right above her collarbone, a fading bruise I’ll need to darken again soon. I give it a small kiss before righting her sweater again.
She shudders under the touch, her breath catching. “You’re in the conference room today,” she says, voice raspy as she begins leading me down the hallway.
I can’t resist pressing my hand to the small of her back along the way. The constant need to touch her never seems to lessen. I also don’t miss the way she leans into it.
Adam is already in the conference room when we enter, seated at the head of the table. He gestures to the two chairs on either side of him. “You’ll be joining us again today, Riley.”
She arches an eyebrow at me in question, and I can see her mood instantly change. Her smile disappears and her body tenses.
If she thought I would back off of her coming to work for me, she’s out of her damn mind. There’s no scenario where this ends with her still working for Adam.
Taking the seat to Adam’s left, I can feel Riley’s eyes boring into me as she sits down across from me, no doubt wondering where this is going.
I pull the contract from the leather portfolio I brought with me, and toss it onto the table in front of Adam. “Eight million over asking. Riley comes with me.”
Adam picks up the contract, paging through it, no doubt looking for any fine print that I might use to pull one over on him.
He won’t find anything. I may be willing to do some shady shit to get a deal to go through, but I’ll never try to sneak anything in. The terms are crystal clear. Besides, the last thing I need is someone trying to sue me because I was wishy-washy with the paperwork, and then have all my past deals dug into. I know for a fact Gio Voletti would let me go down before anything gets to him. Hell, probably Blake too. I’d be the same.
Riley sits quietly across from me, head tilted down as she looks into her lap. Her cheeks are red, shoulders tense, and I can tell she’s fidgeting with her hands under the table.
“Deal,” Adam finally says, breaking the silence.
“What?” Riley hisses, glaring at Adam. “You can’t accept that. How is that even legal?”
Adam shifts in his chair, stealing his spine, clearly not liking having to defend his decision. “That’s significantly more than those properties are worth. I’m in no position to turn down such an offer.” He tosses the contract back down on the table. “I’m sure Mr. Raythorne will match your salary.”
“It’s not about the salary,” Riley says, slamming her hands onto the table. “It’s about the fact that you both think I can be bought and sold!” She stands up with such force her chair flies back. “I fucking quit.”
“Then the deal”s off,” I say, shrugging, as she moves to the conference room door.
Now it’s Adam’s turn to get mad. “You can’t back out just because she wants to quit,” he spits, standing up from his chair as well.
I recline in my seat, kicking my legs out and interlocking my fingers behind my head, like I don’t have a care in the world how this plays out.
Which is a complete fucking farce, because I’m not walking away from this until I have Riley.
“I can,” I tell Adam, my eyes never leaving Riley. “It’s a package deal. Either Riley agrees to come work for me, or the entire thing is off.”
“Riley,” Adam starts, rubbing his fingers into his eyes. “Just… think about this. You’re being completely irrational right now.”
“I’m being irrational?!” She flings a hand out toward me. “He’s trying to buy me! I’d rather not work for either of you! I couldn’t care less about your deal.”
“For fuck’s sake, Riley!” Adam slams his fists on the table.
And that’s my cue to intervene before my own fist finds this asshole’s face for the way he’s talking to her right now. “Give us the room, Adam.”
He grabs the contract and rounds the table to leave. “This is happening,” he says as he approaches Riley. “So fucking figure your shit out.” He slams the door on the way out, leaving us alone.
The thing about Riley and me, is that there’s always been this tension between us. This palpable force that drives us both wild. It’s a battle of our wills. Of our very fucking souls. And it”s exciting. It’s addictive. It’s seductive and hot and all-consuming.
But this, what’s floating between us right now, is different. It’s no longer a battle of wills, but an all out war. It’s destructive and toxic. And I don’t fucking care. Because I’d sacrifice my soul every single time, if it meant hers was saved. Even if that makes me the bad guy.
“So that’s it. My going price is eight million.” Riley crosses her arms over her chest, head held high. But I see the quiver in her bottom lip as she stares at me from across the room.
I get up from my seat, and she retreats, her back bumping into the wall behind her. “Don’t even think about coming over here.” There’s a moment of sadness that crosses her face, and something else, maybe disappointment, before she adds in a low voice, “You promised you wouldn’t hurt me.”
I pause in my advance toward her, shoving my hands in my pockets. I try to keep my voice gentle as I say, “This isn’t about buying you, Riley. And I’m not doing it to hurt you. This is about doing what’s best for you.”
I”ll take care of her better than anyone else can. She has to know that. Not to mention Jax and I have been meaning to hire someone for weeks. We’re both swamped. Plus, she’d be set financially for life if she worked for me–for us. She could even buy another piece of shit Subaru since she’s so opposed to keeping my car. A whole fucking fleet of them.
“I think I can decide what’s best for me. And you trying to control every aspect of my life isn’t it.” She lets out a long breath. “I’m quitting, Emmett. I’m not going to work for either of you. Not when you’re both so willing to trade me like I’m nothing more than a piece of meat to be owned.”
“Baby—”
“No,” she snaps at me. “I’ve made up my mind, so don’t fucking ‘baby’ me.”
My fists clench in my pockets. She’s upset. I get that. But she’s not getting out of this. She’s fucking mine. So I do the only thing I can.
“What happens when you can’t find another job right away?” I ask her. “When you miss a paycheck or two and suddenly can’t pay your mortgage? What’s the bank going to think when you’ve barely moved into your new house and you’re already missing payments?” I move toward her and she shrinks back, as though she can make herself small enough that she’ll disappear into the wall. “I’ll tell you what they’ll think. They’ll think you”re a risk, Riley. They’ll foreclose on your ass so fast, you’ll be homeless by the end of the year.”
It’s a lie. They’d never move that fast, especially not over one missed payment. And I”d never let them foreclose. Not that she even owns the fucking house. Blake’s shell company does. But she doesn’t know any of that.
Riley looks at me like I just slapped her. I hate doing this to her, but it’s for the best.
“Leave.” She grabs the door, whipping it open. “Now.”
I stop and kiss her forehead as I pass her. “Take the deal.”
She doesn’t respond. She doesn’t even look at me as I walk out, and I fight down the urge to go back in there and bend her over the table. Whether to spank her or fuck her, I don’t know, but her attitude toward this is getting old, fast.
Adam is waiting in the front lobby when I reach it. “Call me when you’ve both agreed.” I nod at the contract, still in his hands. “That’s my final offer. You have one week. You’d be wise to take it.” I don’t bother waiting for a response, pushing out the front door and heading for my car.
Riley is still at Tracy’s.
I close out of the tracking app for the millionth time today, setting my phone on the couch beside me. There’s a hockey game on the TV, but I couldn’t tell you a damn thing that’s happened, my mind too preoccupied with Riley avoiding me right now to focus on anything else.
Tossing back the remainder of my whiskey, I walk to the bar to pour myself another drink.
I’m not sure when I became this version of myself, utterly consumed with someone to the point of madness. My entire life, I’ve prided myself on my self-control. My ability to dictate a desired outcome. But with Riley, all that goes out the goddamn window.
It feels an awful lot like she’s the one in control as I sit here, beside myself, waiting for her to talk to me.
I’ve been tracking her obsessively for the past two days. After our meeting earlier this week, I watched her storm out of the office before I had even pulled away from the curb.
I was tempted to follow her, to talk to her, to take her back to my place, but decided to just track her location instead, knowing she needed some time to cool off. She went straight to Tracy’s.
It’s now Friday evening, and she hasn’t left her friend”s townhome once. Not even to go into work. I’m regretting not following her and just locking her up in my penthouse until she agreed to work for me.
I swallowed my pride and checked in with Adam earlier today. He said she called out sick, so at least we know she hasn’t officially quit.
It pisses me off, though, that she’ll talk to that prick while ignoring all of my calls and texts. I’m about three seconds away from driving over to Tracy’s and banging on the door until Riley agrees to talk to me.
Just as the thought crosses my mind, my phone starts vibrating, and I head back to the couch to see Tracy’s name on the screen. I mute the TV before picking it up.
“Tracy,” I answer, setting my drink down. “Let me talk to Riley.” I’m not about to communicate via third party. My girl can suck it up and talk to me.
“One, how do you know she’s even with me? And two, fuck you for what you’re doing to her!” Her voice is shrill as she yells at me through the phone. Pulling it away from my ear, I put it on speaker and set it on the coffee table. “Do you have any idea how upset she is, Emmett?”
I scoff. This idea that I’m doing this to hurt Riley is getting real fucking old. Maybe at first I wanted to mess with her, see her squirm and sink my teeth into that innocence she carried, but I’ve long since moved past that.
“I’m doing what’s best for her,” I explain for the umpteenth time, trying to reel in my temper and keep my voice calm.
“That’s not for you to decide!”
“It’s a fucking job!” I snap, pacing in front of the coffee table. I’m not about to let Tracy berate me for taking care of Riley. “Adam is an asshole who is slowly sinking his company. He preyed on his former employees, and I’m not about to let Riley continue working for him!” I run a hand down my face. “She’ll get over it.”
Tracy sighs and I can practically feel her frustration seeping through the phone. “It’s not about the job. It’s about you making the decision for her and forcing her into it. You threatened her with foreclosure on her home, for Christ’s sake.”
“And I’d do it again if it meant getting her to agree.” I’m not above playing dirty to get what I want. I’d do whatever the fuck it takes to get Riley to be wholly mine.
“No,” Tracy seethes. “Fuck that. I’m telling her the truth. I’d rather her be mad at me than allow you to hold this over her head.”
“Go ahead, tell her.” I lower my voice, pausing in front of the phone as I speak my next words. “But I know your dirty little secret, Tracy. You tell Riley, and I”ll blow up that you just signed off on the purchase of an estate for an elected official in return for political favor.”
“What are you talking about?” The anger seeps from Tracy’s voice, replaced by wariness.
“You think Blake set up that shell company just for Riley’s house?” I tsk, picking the phone up and holding it in front of me. “No, you’re also the happy new owner of an estate for Congressman Whittmore, who just so happens to be a very critical component of a government contract for Blake’s brother worth hundreds of millions.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with that.” She’s trying to stand her ground, but it comes out as more of a question.
I shrug. “All the paperwork I’ve got says otherwise.”
“How can that be?”
“He set you up as the owner of the shell company, Tracy,” I answer her. “Any deals he puts through there have your name all over them.”
“Oh my god,” she says, her voice barely more than a whisper. She knows she’s trapped at this point.
“So, go ahead, tell Riley.” I pick my drink back up, swirling the amber colored liquid. “Your license will be revoked and you’ll be behind bars so fast it will make your head spin.”
It’s an empty threat. I wouldn’t turn her in, because I’d be incriminating myself as well. And Blake sure as hell wouldn’t be sticking up for me. He’d back Tracy and throw me under the bus without a second thought. I can tell by the way he watches her, he’d protect her like I’d protect Riley. So I couldn’t even really blame the guy.
“You’d really do that?” she sneers. “Threaten me to keep her believing a lie. Just to corner her into working for you.”
“Without hesitation.”
“Your obsession with Riley is sick, Emmett!” Tracy shrieks.
“Than I’m a fucking terminal case!” I snap. “Tell her to take the deal.” I hang up and throw my phone onto the couch.
This is getting messier than it should have. Threatening Tracy to manipulate Riley wasn’t part of the plan. Christ, becoming obsessed with Riley wasn’t part of the plan. How I got in this so deep is beyond me, but now that I’m here, I’ll fucking wallow in the depths if it gets me what I want.
All of this is just further evidence that I’m losing control. Running my hands through my hair and tugging at it, I sink down onto the couch. “Fuck!”
I need to get in front of this situation again. Reaching for my phone, I send Riley a text.
Me:Either you come to me or I’m coming to you. This silent treatment ends tonight.
Me: You’ve got 20 minutes to decide before I get in my car.
It takes her almost fifteen minutes, but she eventually opens the text, only to leave me on read. It’s progress, I guess, considering she didn’t even look at any of the other texts I’ve sent her. That tells me Tracy said something to her. What, though, is the question. For all I know, Tracy told her the truth and Riley is about to shut me out completely.
Not that I’d let that happen. She’ll never escape me. Not without me allowing it. I’ll follow that girl wherever she goes.
Another ten minutes pass, and there’s still no response. I’m about to grab my jacket and head down to the parking garage when she finally deigns to text me back.
Riley:Can we talk tomorrow?
The relief I feel that she’s finally talking to me again eases a tightness I didn’t know I’d been carrying in my chest. I’m hardly even annoyed that she’s still trying to push off having a conversation because I’m just so damn glad to get a response from her.
Pathetic? Maybe. But I don’t give a fuck.
Me:Tonight. We’re not letting this fester anymore.
She reads it immediately this time, and I watch intently as the typing bubbles appear on my phone.
Riley:I’ll be there soon
Me: Park in the garage. Frank will let you up
I don’t get any acknowledgement from her, but I trust that she’ll show up. If not, I know where to find her.
It’s surreal how quickly your priorities in life can change. A couple of months ago, my only concern was continuing to build my empire with Jax. To set us up for life and keep buying up real estate and ownership in startup companies. We wanted power. We wanted influence. We wanted control. And we still do.
But now, I want that empire for other reasons too.
When I was around twelve, during one of my mom’s rare, lucid moments, I remember her telling me that she hoped I would love her someday. She’d been sitting at her vanity applying makeup, looking at me standing behind her in the mirror. I can still hear the way she’d smack her lips together after she was done. The clatter of her dark red lipstick when she’d toss it into her little black makeup bag. She had looked at my reflection in the mirror, right in my eye, and told me that everything she did, she did for me.
She brought a man home that night, and when they stumbled through the apartment door drunk, most of that lipstick had been smudged off her lips and onto his skin.
I couldn’t see it at the time, too blinded by anger and hatred toward her for the life we lived. Too jealous of the kids down the hall who got shiny new bikes for Christmas, when all I got was new socks and a secondhand winter coat. Too bitter seeing all the happy families at school events, laughing and hugging each other, when I never even had anyone there for me, let alone the opportunity to meet my father.
All I could see when I looked at my mom was the strung out whore who would fuck our landlord to avoid eviction. Who’d fuck the neighbor next door for grocery money. And then who’d fuck the local drug dealer in exchange for another hit to forget everything she had just done.
But I can understand it now. She felt she had no way out. No way to support us. So she did what she had to do to make sure I had a roof over my head and food in my belly.
I don’t condone what she did. But I understand. And while I wouldn’t say I love her for it, I respect her. She kept me alive, even when I didn’t realize what she was doing.
And she’s the reason I’m the man that I am. That I’m building the empire that I am. So that Jax never has to get sucked back into running guns in order to make rent. So that I never have to look in the mirror and wonder if I’m going to eat today.
So that Riley never has to feel the weight on her shoulders that my mother felt.
My empire is no longer just for me and Jax. It’s for her.
Everything is for Riley.