Chapter Nine
T hree days later, chef Ambrose “Row” Casablancas almost tore my door off of its hinges, galloping into my office. Even without looking at him, I sensed the blistering waves of anger pouring out of his massive body.
He was a basic creature. Like a fish, but with the ability to make a decent omelet.
“This is bullshit.” He slammed a piece of paper over my desk, splintering the wood with his paw.
“You finally learned how to read.” I didn’t raise my gaze from the bylaws I was skimming. “Congratulations. You’re almost ready for a big kid bed now.”
“This is my letter of resignation from La Vie en Rogue, effective immediately. I’m selling my shares and washing my hands of the restaurant completely if you don’t let that poor woman go.”
I sat back, weaving my fingers together and staring at him drily. The man was as philanthropic as a lethal injection. My guess was he didn’t give half a shit about Gia’s well-being. His wife twisted his balls, and he sang whatever tune she fed him.
Row was pathetically pussy-whipped.
Row and I co-owned a two-location restaurant chain called La Vie en Rogue in London and Edinburgh. Business was booming. So was his voice when he didn’t get any response from me.
“Seriously, Tate, what the fuck is wrong with you?”
I sighed. “Neither of us has time for that exhaustive list.”
Speaking of royal fuckups, I spotted Rhyland, Row’s best friend and his sister’s husband, from the corner of my eye through the glass wall.
He was skulking his way to my office, ignoring my lip-biting, horny employees that eye screwed him. He flung the door open and slammed it behind him, pinning me with a glare.
“Who let you both in?” I asked calmly.
“The person whose life you’re ruining,” Rhyland retorted.
I scowled. “You’re going to have to be way more specific than that.”
“ Gia ,” both men exclaimed in unison.
I wasn’t sure why, but her mere name falling from other men’s lips made me want to kill them in a creative and highly torturous way that’d make the Ferrante brothers blush.
“Release her from this agreement.” Rhyland braced his arms over my desk. He had biceps the size of watermelons, but I could take him.
“No.” I stacked my feet on my desk. “She’s mine.”
“You blackmailed her, knowing she wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to help her mother.” Rhyland decided to state the fucking obvious.
“ She came to me wanting to strike a deal,” I clarified. “We negotiated, and she accepted my terms. Not that I owe you any explanation.”
Row and Rhyland were each damaged in their own way. But me? I was ruined. Beyond redemption. A normal relationship was not in the cards for me.
“She is a child ,” Row growled.
“She is twenty-six,” I snorted. “An adult in every single state.”
“You’re bullying a woman . A young woman who is here on a visa. Have you no limits?”
“None whatsoever,” I assured him. “I always collect my debt, regardless of gender, race, or creed.”
“That debt is about to pile up into a full-blown bankruptcy if you don’t let her go.
You know La Vie en Rogue won’t survive without me.
” Row grabbed the back of the leather chair in front of my desk, hulking over it.
He wore a black bomber jacket and combat boots and looked every inch of the bad boy chef persona that earned him millions of dollars a year.
I doubted the asshole could flip a burger better than anyone else. He just looked good making food. “I’m the face of your restaurant.”
It was terribly cute, how he thought I gave a shit.
“Are you gonna let her go?”
“No. La Vie en Rogue is not even pocket change for me.” I flipped my pen between my fingers, itching to solve a few equations or tap my thigh rhythmically.
“If you want to send your career up in flames, I won’t stop you.
Hell, I might even bring some graham crackers and marshmallows to make some s’mores while you burn. ”
Row’s eyes glowed with wrath. I guessed it was Rhyland’s turn to try to convince me to let Gia go. Was this their little attempt at playing good cop, bad cop?
“Look.” The good-looking motherfucker raised his palms in surrender.
“Your business with Row is a little passion project, I get it. But you actually have a lot of stock in App-date.” App-date was his idiotic, albeit successful, dating app.
“I’ll make sure the board turns on you if you don’t let her go.
I’ll turn it into something very public and very ugly. ”
I tipped my head back and laughed. “Go ahead. Bruce is going to annihilate you on my behalf if you mess up his business.” Bruce was his business partner and the man holding the almighty dollar of the operation.
“There’s nothing you can do to sway me from a good business decision.
And marrying Gia Bennett is a damn good investment. ”
The two men shared a wordless glance.
“Tate…” Rhyland licked his lips.
I held my palm up. “You can go and tell your little wives you tried your best. I’ll confirm that statement. However, I’m not letting her go.”
“Why?” Rhyland pushed a hand into his blond mane, exasperated. “You always adhere to logic. Why not now?”
A question for the ages. Why Gia Bennett? Why not any other willing woman? They were practically waiting in line.
My brief marriages aside, I’d had plenty of cold arrangements with women before. Brilliant, classy, beautiful women.
I paid their rent and gave them monthly allowances. In return, they were available to me a few times a week, where I dropped by unannounced, bent them over the side of their couch, and fucked them mercilessly.
All of them would have gladly given me an heir.
Hell, some would have agreed to give me a kidney.
Why not them? Why my annoying secretary?
Because I want to keep her close. Because she is the last thing I have left of him .
Row shook his head. “You’re fucking obsessed with this woman.”
“She should be so lucky.”
“If we can’t convince you to back out of this disastrous idea, I want some reassurances.” Row worked his jaw back and forth, palming it. Probably to keep himself from biting my head off.
I decided to humor him, for the sole purpose of hearing what my hysterical bride-to-be thought I’d do to her.
“Yes?” I asked.
“You’re not going to hurt her.”
“Physically? No. Mentally? Probably.” I wasn’t known for my people skills. “Let’s admit it. It’s nothing she isn’t used to from working with me.”
“You’re not going to force yourself on her,” Rhyland continued.
I snorted. That douche had some nerve to play the knight in shining armor role with his history.
“Noncon is not my style.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. If someone is dumb enough not to realize my worth, I’m not going to bother.”
Row rolled his eyes. Riling them up was actually kind of fun.
“You will not restrict her liberty,” Row said.
I shook my head. “She is welcome to walk out of this deal any minute of any day of any hour. She chooses to stay because I pay her mother’s way through one of the most expensive experimental programs in the world.
Because I burned down the world to secure her spot there.
This is a tit-for-tat arrangement. Now, anything else? ”
They both shook their heads.
“Very well.” I pressed the panic button under my desk and smiled. “Security will usher you outside in about…” I checked my pocket watch. “Five seconds.”
Two burly men entered my office and grabbed my so-called friends by their jackets, hurling them out to the hallway.
Good riddance.