Hayes
one
“You really fucked up this time, big brother. Your Savannah exodus and the fact Paige stayed behind is all over the Atlanta Haute List. Whatever you’re trying to do here isn’t staying under the radar.”
I turn toward the annoyingly chipper voice and see Payton standing in the doorway to my office. It’s barely nine in the morning and already he’s giving me shit. My shoulders bunch into tight knots of tension and rage, and I give him a stare I’m sure he’s familiar with by now.
“You’ve mentioned it. Do you have anything useful to say, or do you just want to fucking waste time that’s better spent working on the roll-out plans?” I stand from my desk and take the few strides to face him in the doorway. I’m ready to bodily remove him from my office.
“Why the fuck are you even here?” Payton crosses his arms and returns my hard stare. “You piss and moan about work stuff that doesn’t even matter when you have more important things to take care of.”
“Unlike you, I actually care about what happens next with phase two, so I’m working.” I grip the heavy door of my office and start to push him out when it’s stopped by a more solid and imposing force than just one brother.
“Can’t you see, he’s hiding from his lady problems, Pay.”
Fuck, now they’re both starting in on me.
“I’m not hiding. I’m busy.” I give up on closing the door and let it bang back into the open position as I stalk back to my chair.
Payton and Zander crowd into the office after me and make themselves comfortable on the chairs opposite my desk when they should just turn the fuck around and get out of my sight before I throw my laptop at them.
“I’m no relationship expert, but even I know you need to get your ass on a plane to Savannah and win your girl back.”
“Really, Zander, it’s that simple?” I scoff. “You have a new woman on your arm every week and never do repeats. I think you’re the last person I would take advice from and the least qualified to be dishing out any suggestions right now, anyway.”
“Which is why you should really listen to this piece of sage advice that makes complete sense.”
I roll my eyes at him.
“Paige seems different. You were different with her. She may hate your guts for buying out her company, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t still love you.
Let me tell you, hate fucking is even better than happy fucking, so it’s worth your time and effort just to experience that side of a fight at the very least.”
Payton holds out his hand to stop Zander.
“Slow your roll, little bro. Hayes may have married her on a whim for his own gain, but there’s no way he’s in love with a girl he’s known less than a month.
” He turns his attention back to me. “Or would you like to correct my assumption that you only married her for access to her daddy’s hotels?
Was she actually different and responsible for changing your view on relationships?
Did you fall for her, even when you were focused on buying out the very company she was set to inherit? ”
I glare at them both and stay silent. Of course I love Paige.
There was very little that could have stopped that from happening after just a few days with her beautiful soul and kindhearted ways, despite my penchant for being the very opposite.
A now familiar wave of dread passes through me as I think of Paige.
I may have fucked this up, but she is the one that fucking left.
That was a dagger to the heart of any feelings I could have fallen into.
Now I’m trying to stay removed from any of the desires to believe in love she may have kindled in me.
“He doesn’t even have to answer. Look at that dorky expression on his face as he thinks about her now. He’s head over heels, and he knows he’s fucked up big time.”
I turn the force of my glare on Zander and wish they would just fucking leave.
“If you care that much about her, I repeat, what the fuck are you doing here? We have everything under control and plenty of teams working on phase two. You’re not needed here, but I’m sure there’s a feisty girl who actually needs you right now.” Payton tips his head toward the open door.
I am done with their patronizing. They don’t understand the situation in the least. I slam my palm down on the desk so hard it shudders. “There’s nothing to do about it. She walked out on me.” My words come out harsh, my tone meant to stop them from their conjecture and mockery.
“Ah, it all makes sense now. His pride is bruised,” Zander says in a mock whisper to Payton. “He’s never been rejected, even when he deserved it.”
Payton leans his chin onto his fist, his elbow propped on his knee. “You could have warned her, you know. Told her about your plans for the future that included her hotels. Maybe she would have warmed to the idea, or at least not left when she found out.”
I clench my fist until my knuckles crack. “Well, I didn’t, so stop telling me what I should have done and get the fuck out.”
“Why don’t you just put her in charge of the eastern contingent of hotels? She’s young, but from what I’ve heard, she was born and bred to run the hotels anyway, so she could be a good fit.”
I snap my gaze to Zander, who leans back comfortably in the leather chair.
“Don’t you think I’ve considered that option?” I grind out. “Paige was set to inherit the hotels, not just run them. They would have been hers, rather than a small group she oversaw for someone else. The consolation prize would be a slap in the face to her lost legacy.”
“It’s better than nothing. Or you could give her an entirely new legacy.
You’ve got plenty of companies under your personal enterprise to have something that would suit her.
Time to pony up the big gifts, Hater.” His use of the childhood nickname ruffles the feathers he was just smoothing with the potentially plausible idea.
She could rule the Underworld Spirits brand without breaking a sweat.
I don’t even have to give it a second thought.
I pick up my phone and dial legal. It might be an act of desperation, and who knows if she’ll accept, but it may just be what she needs.
But could it make what I have done less egregious?
I fucking hope so. I will do anything to get my wife back and reverse some of the damage I have inflicted.
“Draw up contracts for the transfer of Underworld Spirits. Put it in Paige’s name and give her controlling interest, too.
Yes, I know that means my share would decrease.
No, I don’t want any stipulations for how she wants to run the business.
It’ll be up to her.” It takes a few moments to start the process and I hang up, satisfied I can have this well in hand just as easily.
“And that is why I’m the CEO. I come up with brilliant ideas. You really should listen to me more,” Zander quips to Payton.
“Yeah, Zand, I’ll take your advice when I want a sexually transmitted disease or a broken bone from an extreme sport.” Payton rolls his eyes in an exaggerated way and I almost smile. Almost.
“One fucking time I crash from a skiing accident, and you think it happens every time. I’m all healed up and not pushing the sharp bone ends of a compound fracture out of my arm, thank you for asking.”
“You refute the broken bone comment but not the STD? Telling.” Payton says.
“I’m clean, so there was no need to even deem it worthy of comment.”
“I’ve started the big gesture, so you can both fuck off now.” I wave my fingers along with my words and hope they just go. They can continue their bickering elsewhere for all I care. I feel the headache building and just want to make things right with Paige if she’ll even let me.
“That’s only the beginning, Hayes. Sure, the big gesture is nice and may soothe her hurt feelings over losing the future she was groomed for, but now you gotta figure out how to make right all the shit that likely came with it.
Betrayal! Underhanded business dealings!
Lies!” He animates his words with jacking off hand gestures.
“Zand is right, and I don’t admit that easily, but I will when it’s you who has fucked up and needs to hear it.”
Payton inclines his head my way and I’m back to hating my brothers. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. He levels me with his own surly look before he continues.
“You’re in luck. We’re on the case of returning your balls to Paige because she’s the only one who deserves to carry them in her Chanel purse.”
I bristle and I’m about to once again demand they get the fuck out when Zander speaks.
“If you want to keep that beautiful wife of yours and avoid the annulment, or worse, the divorce I’m sure her daddy is itching to file—taking half of everything you have—you better take notes.
” He holds up one finger. “First, you need to admit that what you did was wrong, even if you managed to get the outcome you wanted from the situation. Second, you need to apologize for putting your shit first, instead of her. Third, you need to get on your knees and eat that pussy like it’s your favorite ice cream. ”
“Bravo, Zand. You managed to make what was a half-decent apology vulgar,” Payton says as his eyes roll toward the ceiling.
“Listen, I may not do relationships, but even I know an apology is best served with a side of cunnilingus, vulgar or not.” Zander brings his hand to his mouth, splitting his fingers into a V and flicking his tongue through the opening.
“You’re a fucking idiot,” I growl and swat at him across my desk to make him stop.
“You most definitely need to fight to get her to forgive you, but no one said you have to fight fair. Now get your ass out of this office and don’t show your stupid face again until you have your bride back.
” Zander stands and rounds the desk, grabs the laptop out of my protesting hands, and shoves it into my briefcase.
“He has a point. Use whatever means necessary if she’s really that important to you.
Otherwise, you might as well just let her go and move on because you got what you wanted.
Either way, you need to ease the fuck up on everyone here and get on with it.
” Payton comes around the opposite side of the desk, palming my shoulders and forcing me out of my chair before pulling my suit jacket from the hook on the wall and folding it over my arm.
“I can’t believe I’m actually listening to you two fools,” I grumble, now standing between my two irritatingly stupid, but loyal, brothers.
“I already called the pilot. He’s on standby to fly you to Savannah whenever you’re ready.”
I tilt my head and appraise Payton.
“You were that confident you could convince me that you arranged for the pilot to be on standby?” I cross my arms over my chest and wonder at the ruthless manipulation skills of my brothers. I’ve seen them in action many times, but I never realized they could work so well on me.
“You were getting on that plane of your own free will or with us throwing you on it, so yeah, I made the arrangements in advance.”
“You shifty motherfucker.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up and go get your girl already. Jesus, it’s like you prefer being here, giving us shit, to fucking your hot wife. If you’re that ambivalent about it, I’ll take it from here.”
My hand is on Zander’s throat before I realize I’ve moved. He’s pinned to the door and struggling to breathe, his hands clawing at mine.
“Don’t you ever talk about fucking my wife. I don’t care if it’s a joke, you say one word that even insinuates you’re thinking about her that way and I will end you, brother or not.” My voice is a low growl of rage and Zander’s eyes widen when he takes it in.
“Hayes, let him go.”
Payton places his hands on my shoulders, but he doesn’t force me away, likely knowing I would smash my elbow into his face if he even tried. I have murderous intent on my mind, and he’d be my next victim.
“He fucking asked for it, but you can’t choke out your own brother for a misspoken and crass joke.”
I release my hold on Zander and back up a step, fully expecting him to throw a punch and turn this office into the sparring ring of our youth. He rubs his neck and sends me a dark stare that crackles with electricity.
“You get one pass for being in a fucked up headspace over your girl, but if you ever touch me like that again, I’ll bust that perfect nose of yours in a way no surgeon will be able to fix.” He reaches out and flicks the tip of my nose with his finger. “Boop.”
I knock his hand away and lunge for him, but Payton grabs me by the arms and stops me.
“That’s enough, you fuckheads. Zander, get out of the fucking way and quit antagonizing him.
Hayes, get your ass out of this office and try to salvage what’s left of your marriage before it’s too late.
” He shoves me past Zander and hands me my briefcase, physically separating me from going back in to knock out my asshole of a brother.
“I swear to God, if you put half of the aggression you’re displaying into fighting for your wife, maybe you wouldn’t be in this position.” Zander’s grumbling is low and fed up, but I hear him loud and clear as I spin on my heel and leave the office.
I crack my neck and shove a hand through my hair as I stalk through the building to the elevator and punch the garage button hard enough to crack it.
It kills me that he’s fucking right. I should have fought harder for Paige.
If I had transferred the energy I spent this week being irritated by my brothers to mending my relationship, I wouldn’t be in this shitty place.
Unless it’s too late and there’s no mending what I broke.
Fuck.
I didn’t stop her from walking out on me because it hurt.
Yeah, emotionally it devastated me, but it was my ego that suffered most realizing that she would even consider it.
It fucking tore me apart watching her walk away, but I couldn’t comprehend her not even wanting to listen to me.
I let her go, thinking she should have given me the chance to explain myself.
That she owed me the opportunity to explain, which would have made it so easy for me to turn things around.
It’s taken me a few days to realize that maybe Paige was never beholden to my right to an explanation, though she deserved to hear the truth from my lips.
It was still selfish of me to expect her to sit quietly and let me validate my actions when every step to that point hurt her in some way.
She was justified in her anger whereas I wasn’t, and that’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re used to getting your way and having people bow and scrape to keep you happy.
It’s my turn to bow and scrape. I owe that much to her. I owe her everything.