22. Graham
GRAHAM
In the dark of my penthouse, I slide down the wall and rest my head between my knees.
What the hell am I doing?
“What the hell!” I punch the floor then clutch my aching hand.
What is wrong with me? I can’t kiss her.
I don’t kiss.
I’ve never kissed a woman. I’ve fucked them—only like three of them, when the longing got too bad and I gave in to my worst desires.
I didn’t kiss them, though. Never kiss them.
Kisses mean love. Love means control.
I didn’t want those women to get the wrong idea.
It’s one of my boundaries. My points of no return.
I slam the back of my head against the wall, probably leaving a dent.
It’s not enough to banish the memories.
My dad would “marry” the girl he kidnapped, always want a kiss like they were in a real relationship. Stuart made them pretend they liked him.
Dani would have liked it. She wants to be my wife.
“No. No, no.” I shake my head. “She wants fucking Kraig.”
Since the day I met him, my stepbrother always resented me. He’d complain any time I got a new hockey stick, or shit, even new shoes because mine were too small. He resented that we had to share a room even though he was only over at Frank’s house every other weekend.
Those weekends were miserable. I’ll never like Friday nights.
Now Dani wants to sleep with him.
Over my dead body.
“Or Kraig’s,” I whisper in the dark.
Dani’s mine. I want to keep her with me forever—like a little doll, pristine in a glass case.
“No. We’re not trapping Dani anywhere.”
I am better than my father.
It’s Kraig. He needs to go.
I wonder if I can convince the Svenssons to fire him…
“G-man!” Spencer calls when I walk into the private dining room of the restaurant on Tuesday.
Grayson’s not there yet.
“You’re friends with the Svenssons, right?” I ask Spencer.
“‘Friends’ is a strong word.”
“You know my stepbrother? Frank’s son? I need you to convince Greg to fire him.”
“Yeah, we’re not friends like that.” Spencer shakes his head.
“Kraig’s not like an actual employee,” I argue. “He’s just a security guard. What would Greg want? I can probably swing something.”
“Um, Greg wants world domination and to take over Asia’s cobalt production. So good luck.” Spencer rolls his eyes. “Why are you trying to get your stepbrother fired, anyway?”
“He’s after Dani,” I tell him.
“You sure?” Finn asks, sitting down on the other side of me. “That’s like zero competition. Why are you even stressing?”
“He’s losing his marbles.” Spencer pats the top of my head.
“No. Dani said she wants to, you know… make pasta with him.” I gesture with my hands.
Spencer looks concerned.
“I’m not crazy,” I hiss at him over the table.
“Why are you whispering?” Aaron demands from behind me.
“Graham is obsessing that his fake girlfriend is into Kraig,” Finn explains as Aaron sits catty-corner from me.
“Which is highly unreasonable because your stepbrother is losing his hair.” Spencer sighs.
“You should encourage her infatuation with him,” Aaron reminds me.
“This is a fortuitous development. Then she’ll move on with him.
She’ll agree to take the money and the condo you offered her, because let’s be honest, your stepbrother is not going to be able to keep her in the lifestyle to which she has grown accustomed. Then you’re free of her forever.”
“I am not buying Kraig and Dani some sort of love nest!” I jump out of my seat while Finn curses and grabs my arm.
“This is what happens when you spend your formative years six inches away from a TV in a cellar.” Connor leans back in his chair.
“Did you eat all of the bread?” Aaron glares at him.
“Graham, you can’t be possessive about this girl,” Finn tells me. “You’re already using up all of our collective luck on the fact that you haven’t been busted for kidnapping.”
“Can all of you shut up?” Grayson looms over the table.
“But Graham—”
“Shut. Up. We are not talking about that here in public.”
“Paranoid and crazy. Runs in the family.” Connor tips his chair forward. “So how about that weather we’re having?”
Grayson unwraps his napkin, carefully laying out his silverware.
“Cloudy with a chance of a mental breakdown.” Spencer snickers.
“This is a perfectly rational response. Kraig has always tried to one-up me, he’s always hated me, and now he’s trying to steal my girlfriend.” I glower. “It’s a power move. I can’t let him get away with this.”
I’m aware that my voice is taking on that hysterical edge.
But I can’t stop it.
“Why can’t people just do what I say?” My fist slams on the table, sending the glassware rattling. “We wouldn’t have any issue if she would just listen to me and do what I tell her.”
Grayson grabs the back of my jacket and shakes me roughly.
“Gentle, gentle—he hasn’t been sleeping.” Spencer grabs Grayson’s wrist.
“You haven’t been sleeping?” Grayson demands.
“Fuck you. I slept on Friday night. A lot.”
“I have a straitjacket in my trunk,” Aaron says flatly.
I shake off my oldest brother. “I’m fine. I’m completely fine. I don’t know why everyone thinks I’m not fine.”
I snatch the second bread basket before Connor can take it.
“I’m very completely fine.”
As I’m walking out of the restaurant, my phone beeps.
For a second, I pray it’s Dani.
Kraig: Hear you and Dani are on the rocks.
Kraig: When you break up with her, can I have her?