Chapter Seven
I waited for Cameron in his office.
The guy had an uncanny ability to read your mind, effortlessly unearthing answers you hadn’t even considered. With each question, he cut straight to the heart of your unspoken truths, leaving you to wonder if you’d ever truly known your own thoughts.
I chose the armchair reserved for the good doctor.
Cole had reluctantly introduced me to his sister just now, unwittingly giving me the chance to touch her hand, which made me feel like time had stopped.
At last, I’d been able to put a name to that beauty. The memory of her had kept me company in that lifeguard tower, haunting my night with the impossibility of her.
I regretted that she’d not exactly seen me at my best—a disheveled man wasn’t exactly dating material.
Still, I could see I’d piqued her interest, evidenced by her endearing blush.
Her confident voice and feminine cadence were irresistibly sexy. It reflected her elegant demeanor, radiating unmistakable Cole magnetism.
I occupied my mind with those memories of her while waiting on Cole to come in and obliterate my thoughts with his brilliant insight.
I’d unleashed hell on my life and everyone else’s, too.
Time to face it.
Cameron entered his office, signaling his readiness to extract my thoughts with unsettling precision.
He glanced toward his bookcase. It was either funny as hell, him guarding the books I’d previously ripped off his shelves, or a sign of how tragic he found me.
I had been looking for something—that was all I could remember.
I sighed in frustration. “Even though I parked your BMW out of sight. It wasn’t safe to retrieve it.”
“Jewel?”
“She joined me on my walk back to your car. Had to bail.”
“Bet that was fun.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “I slept in a lifeguard hut.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
I pulled off my bowtie and tucked it into my pocket.
It didn’t relieve the tightness in my throat. The strain of dealing with the truth made me want to choke on my words, having caught Amelia with three other men.
“We’re friends, Greyson. You can talk to me.”
I reached into my jacket pocket and retrieved the engagement ring. The orange diamond glinted beneath the light. “I got this off her.”
Cameron gave a nod of approval. “I wonder what Eve will do with it.”
I tucked the ring back into my pocket. Making a mental note not to leave it in there for the dry-cleaner to discover. The jewelry was now tainted. Roper had given it to his wife Eve; a clear token of his ownership.
The fact I’d slept in an unsecured hut all night with this priceless gem in my pocket was just so me. A little reckless, a little crazy, and a whole lot stupid.
“How was Pendulum?”
“Amelia was there. I got her out. Not sure if she’ll stay away.”
“Did you tell her she has no choice?”
“I was clear.”
Cameron looked worried. “What did Jewel talk about?”
“Destroying us.”
“There’s a surprise.”
An hourglass glinted on his desk. I couldn’t help but wonder what purpose it served. It kind of screamed, “Time’s up, buddy.”
“I transferred funds into Amelia’s account,” I said. “Told her to leave town.”
“Do you think she will?”
“Time will tell.”
Cameron narrowed his focus on me. “Jewel promised Amelia money, I imagine. Let’s hope yours matched what Jewel offered.”
“I sent her a million,” I admitted. Enough to buy a home.
“Generous.”
I needed to know she was safe, even as shards of agony seared my heart. I sensed she was suffering now because of her association with me.
Cameron followed my gaze back towards the hourglass.
“I think she knows,” I said, my gut wrenching with guilt, like it was my fault Jewel had learned Cameron was the fourth partner.
Cole seemed to understand what those words meant. He folded his arms, apprehension rising and waning in his expression, as if he had realized the hazard and was coming to terms with it.
“I don’t know who told her you’re the fourth,” I added. “Stella, Jake’s girlfriend?”
“No, she protected me.”
I wanted to believe that.
Noticing my doubtful look, he shook his head. “I spent time with her. I got a good take on Stella.”
Jake’s girlfriend had risked her life because he had told her how important it was that no one find out the truth. She had loved him enough to take that risk—her bravery was inspiring.
Cole shook his head, annoyed. “Joining you in the deal was a risk.”
“You have every right to be angry.”
A member of the Cole family owning Pendulum was nothing short of a public relations catastrophe. If Jewel chose to run with the story, there’d be blowback.
“Jewel has no proof.” Cameron exuded an unnerving calm, a cool confidence capable of dismantling any facade.
My jaw tightened. He didn’t require any more clues to figure out my secret—the same one Jewel had threatened to spill last night.
“What are you not telling me, Greyson?”
I swallowed hard, uncomfortable with the truth.
I stood and walked over to the hourglass, needing to turn it over, needing to turn back the past. If broken, I’d be powerless to stop the sand from pouring out and wiping away everything in its wake.
Cameron came over and flipped the hourglass upside down. Sand trickled down the neck into the bottom side. “Greyson?”
“I have to go.”
Cameron’s expression turned anxious. “What does Jewel have over you?”
I squeezed my eyes closed, resisting the agony of sharing my sin. “I’ll bring your car back.”
Cameron shook his head. “I have people for that.”
“Right.”
“Time to face it,” he said softly. “The only way is through.”
I studied which seat would be best to claim—the one for the therapist or the one for the victim. Neither looked appealing.
“It changes everything for me,” I whispered.
Cameron remained calm. “When a group of billionaires gather, they demand the best, that’s simply the way it is. And you, my friend, are exactly that—the very best. So, tell me, Greyson, what was it you designed that you now regret?”
Fuck.
“I didn’t know what that place was going to be,” I admitted, hating myself for finding out too late, having taken the commission before realizing what Pendulum represented.
Cameron’s gaze narrowed. “Atticus mentioned a third man was on the dais in the High Chamber the night Lance was killed. Greyson, was that you?”