CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
GEMMA
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Lovers? Is that what I’m worth to a man like Drew Carrington?
Not that I was expecting a proposal. Hell, just being invited on a date with him surprised me.
He doesn’t date.
The honest truth is I’m more focused on losing my home, trying to wrap my head around where all this money has gone and who my husband was.
How could a million dollars go missing?
I’ve had a year to grieve Anthony, so it’s not unreasonable that I would date and perhaps start getting involved with someone else. But as a lover?
Is it the eighteen-hundreds?
I suppose I should be thrilled that Drew mentioned monogamy. It hasn’t crossed my mind the past few weeks while we have been intimate. Even when we didn’t use a condom.
See, I’m useless at all of this.
I don’t want to be good at it.
I want Anthony to walk into this party, tell me it was all a joke and point out we have a secret savings account he was planning to surprise me with for, I don’t know, a home in the Hamptons.
Instead, I’m asked to be a billionaire’s sex toy.
Fine, I’m a little pissed.
Mom rang me today and started asking more about Drew. It didn’t help that Zoe, the rat, told her we had plumbing issues and Dwoo fixed it. Thank goodness she didn’t mention the time.
Anyway, Mom tells me to be careful because he’s known as a bit of a playboy around town. When I say I know—I don’t know—she continues regaling me with stories about Zander.
Who, yes, does have quite a reputation.
And Colt Winters, whom I recognize as the guy meant to be on The Final Rose TV show, which went viral for a few days recently. Drew has quite colorful friends.
Colt has an Australian woman with him wearing a rather enormous diamond on her finger, so I figure the stories are true about his engagement. She seems smitten.
“Gemma, I’m so glad you came.” Emily grins widely and rubs my arm. She’s holding a glass of something red and obviously non-alcoholic, given her pregnancy. She’s popped more since I last saw her.
“I had no choice.” I smile at Drew and wonder if it looks as forced as it feels.
“Gemma Ford.” Zander walks over—correction, prowls over. “Lovely to see you again.”
He sips his drink, smirking like he’s the bad guy in a movie, and I can’t help but wonder if I’m missing something.
Beside me, Drew mutters something.
Because every other event I’ve attended with Drew was a business one, I’ve never felt self-conscious, but suddenly I do. These people are the zero-point-one percenters.
I’m about to lose my penthouse.
Dressed in Louis Vuitton, something I dug out of the back of my wardrobe from four seasons ago, I wonder if they all know I’m Drew’s lover.
Not date.
A booty call he plies with liquor first.
I might be getting angrier.
These people’s lives consist of things I could never dream of. Staff for everything they need, helicopter flights to the Hamptons, private jets, diamonds the size of marbles.
I glance at Emily’s hand and almost choke. Her wedding rings are stunning, but they’re so valuable they’d easily dig me out of this financial hole.
God, the divide between me and these people is so obvious, I don’t know what I am doing here. It makes me want to melt into the carpet and vanish.
Emily notices, tucks her hand away, and I feel bad.
Beside me, Drew pulls out his phone, silencing its incessant buzzing.
“I’m surprised you two haven’t killed one other after all these weeks working together.” Zander sips his drink.
“Wrong couple. That’s Mason and Lexi,” Colt laughs.
“I heard that.” Mason tosses a nut, which lands on Colt’s forehead.
“Ouch!” Colt launches at Mason, and they headlock one another.
Everyone laughs, including Sebastian, who joins us and slides his arm around Emily.
I miss that.
I miss having a husband at my side, feeling safe and protected. Loved. Adored.
Being desired is nice, but temporary without deeper feelings. That’s why Drew isn’t committing to more.
Not that I have expected him to.
So why am I upset?
I should have stayed home. I’m too emotional. The ground feels shaky under my feet right now. I need to sell my home and find something else, which could mean moving out of Manhattan.
I know how lucky I am to have a loving family. I know there are people much worse off, but this is still hard.
I was supposed to do all of this with Anthony.
I’m honestly scared. I can’t earn the type of money he did. Perhaps the time with Obsidian will pave the way for future employment opportunities.
Drew has agreed to buy me out, including the shares. I won’t hold him to the latter.
After tonight, I think it’s best if we say goodbye.
I’m not the kind of woman who wants to be someone’s lover.
It didn’t feel like that when he came over last night to check on me. When I cried in front of him.
When he carried me to bed and we made love slowly and more intimately than ever before.
The conversation continues around me, the music too noisy.
I want to go home.
I want to rip this dumb dress off, curl up in bed with chocolate chip Ben sirens and horns, the hiss of the gutters, traffic and people.
“Gemma,” I hear again, but it’s muted.
I dart around a large container and spot two men.
“Hey, little lady,” one of the men wearing a black jacket over a hoodie says.
I jump. “Oh, shit, you scared me.”
They walk closer, wobbling. They’re either drunk or high...or both.
“You shouldn’t be here.” The second guy in a red cap sneers at me.
“No, I’m just...my date is coming.” I glance back at the entrance, but I’ve moved further than I realized. When I take a few steps away, Red Cap reaches out and grabs my arm.
Oh god.
“Uh, uh. We haven’t had any fun yet.”
“Please don’t. Please. I have a daughter,” I beg, my heart rate going off the charts, fear slicing through me.
Black Hoodie corners me against the container and steps close enough I can smell his breath. His eyes run down my body.
I start to scream but a hand slaps over my mouth.
“Bitch, be quiet. This will be quick. At least Leroy will be.”
“Fuck you.” Leroy laughs, and I hear a zip being tugged down.
“Nwooo,” I scream against the hand, fighting and kicking. My skirt tears, the top ripped away from my breasts—
SMACK!
“The hell—”
SMACK!
I collapse to my knees, stunned as Drew appears like some kind of superhero in a movie. Clutching the bin, I sob as Leroy climbs to his feet and punches Drew in the face.
No!
I can’t let them kill him.
I can’t lose another man I...love.
I rip off one of my shoes and launch towards them before I think about what I’m doing.
“Gemma, fuck!” Drew yells as my arm swings through the air. I feel the heel make impact a split second before Leroy’s elbow snaps up and catches me under the chin.
Then the world goes black.