Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
gunner
A ustin country club is the city’s most exclusive private club, located on the banks of Lake Austin with a view of the iconic Pennybacker Bridge.
After launching my company, I joined the club to network and cultivate relationships with other business executives. I earned their respect by purposely not discussing business on the golf course. Deals were made afterward—over drinks at the nineteenth hole or during private hunting trips.
The country club is also where I met Laurene. I first saw her on the tennis court, a leggy blonde in a pink tennis outfit hitting perfect volleys. She saw me at the same time and got so distracted that she completely missed her next shot. Flustered and embarrassed, she’d skewered me with a dirty look that made me chuckle before continuing on my way.
Two hours later, I was leaving the locker room after a workout when Laurene confronted me. She claimed that I owed her dinner for costing her the tennis match. She was beautiful, haughty and clearly too high maintenance for my taste. But I indulged her, and seven months later we were engaged.
Ten minutes after my fight with Marlowe, I march into the club’s main dining room, my blood pulsing with fury.
“Good evening, Mr. Ransom,” the ma?tre d’ greets me with an obsequious smile. “Will you be dining at your usual?—”
“No. I’m looking for Miss Vandenberg.”
“Ah, yes, of course. Right this way, sir.”
I’m ushered to a private room just off the terrace dining floor. And there she is, holding court at a table with her circle of snobby friends.
I storm through the door, drawing shocked stares and scandalized gasps.
Laurene leaps to her feet. “Gunner?—”
I sweep a hard glance over the table. “Get out.”
The women take one look at my face and scurry off in a blur of designer labels and spray tans.
Laurene stands there fuming with her arms crossed. “Really, Gunner, there’s no need to be rude to my?—”
“You talked to Marlowe.”
She defiantly tosses her hair back. “So what if I did?”
Rage propels me forward. “You had no fucking right.”
“I had every right!” she fires back. “It’s bad enough that you’re screwing your maid, but then you had to go and flaunt her in front of the world, and now everyone’s laughing at me!”
“Stay away from her.”
Her mouth falls open in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
“Dead fucking serious,” I snarl, rounding the table to reach her. “Stay away from Marlowe. I’m warning you.”
“ That’s what you came here to say?” she shrieks, outraged. “My God, Gunner, are you trying to make a fool of me? How could you take your maid to Hawaii instead of the woman you were actually engaged to?”
I shake my head at her. “We broke up, Laurene. People move on after breakups?—”
“I HAVEN’T!” she screams, pointing at her chest. “I haven’t moved on, Gunner! How could you? ”
“We weren’t right for each other,” I say, keeping my voice calm if only to counter her near-hysteria. “You did us both a favor by ending our relationship.”
“I don’t believe this.” She gives me a wounded look. “How can you even say these things to me?”
“Because it’s the truth.” I look her directly in the eye. “Before you broke up with me, I thought our relationship was working. I thought we were both getting what we needed from each other. But I was wrong, and I’m man enough to admit it. Maybe I should have spent more time with you. Maybe I should have taken you on nonbusiness trips. But to be perfectly honest, Laurene, I didn’t think it was that important to you. We both traveled extensively when we were growing up. By the time we were ten, we’d visited nearly every country on the planet. We took those experiences for granted, lost sight of just how privileged and fortunate we were. But it’s different with Marlowe.”
“Why?” Laurene jeers. “Because she’s a poor hick who’s never been anywhere?”
I frown at the insult, but I’m remembering Marlowe’s girlish peals of laughter, her ecstatic twirling on the clifftop, the radiant wonder on her face as she took in everything. It may sound corny as hell, but experiencing Kauai with her made me feel reborn. It was as if I were visiting the island for the first time, seeing the sights through her eyes. She made me forget about work obligations, deadlines, market forecasts, balance sheets. She made me forget everything but the simple pleasure of being with her.
I’m not ready to give her up yet. I don’t know if I ever will be.
“Come on, baby,” Laurene says with a sulky pout. “I’m tired of fighting. We’ve had our time apart and you’ve had your little fun. Now let’s just?—”
“No.” My voice cuts through her words. “We’re not getting back together. It’s over.”
Her head snaps back as if I hit her, and for a moment her eyes seem to water. “We’re over? Just like that?”
“Yes.”
She motions around the room. “I can’t believe you’d be cruel enough to end our relationship at the same place where we met!”
“I’m not trying to be cruel, but you need to accept my decision,” I tell her. “Harassing Marlowe won’t change my mind. It’ll only piss me off, and believe me, you don’t want that.”
An ugly, vindictive smile twists her lips. “You’re making a big mistake. You and Marlowe have nothing in common. Your friends will never accept her, and neither will your mother. We both think Marlowe is a gold-digging whore, and I’m going to make sure?—”
I grab the back of her head and bring my mouth to her ear. “For the last fucking time, I don’t want you talking to Marlowe. Don’t even go near her. If you ever find yourself in the same vicinity as her, stop what you’re doing and leave the premises. Do I make myself clear?”
I feel her swallow. Hard.
“Contact her again and we’re going to have a serious fucking problem. Nod to let me know you understand.”
She bobs her head up and down.
I pull back to level a glare at her. “I’ve always been a gentleman with you. Don’t make me regret it.”
Her face tightens and reddens.
I release her, pivot on my heel and head for the door.
“It wasn’t supposed to end this way!” she cries out petulantly. “When I broke up with you, it was only supposed to be temporary. You were supposed to come to your senses and come crawling back to me. You weren’t supposed to meet someone else!”
I turn slowly and shake my head at her. “Come now, sweetheart. When have you ever known me to crawl any damn where?”
Her face crumples and a tear slips from her eye.
“Goodbye, Laurene. I truly wish you all the best.” I turn and start walking away.
“Do you love her?”
Her words stop me cold.
“You never told me you loved me. Even when you proposed, the word ‘love’ never left your mouth. I told myself you loved me in your own way, but now I’m not so sure.” Her tone is bitterly accusing. “So again I ask, Gunner. Do you love her?”
My chest constricts like a vise around my lungs.
With a calm I don’t feel, I button my suit jacket and smooth back my hair, then walk out the door without responding.
the question is still burning through my brain the next morning as I sit behind my desk, fingers steepled in front of my face, half listening while my assistant rattles off a list of action items requiring my attention.
“. . . need to work on your keynote speech for the tech conference in Munich. I’ll email your travel itinerary once it’s finalized. I made a few tweaks to your welcome message for the incoming security trainees. The film crew will be here at eleven to record your video. The suit you’re wearing is perfect, but I think you should go with a different tie. Something softer, less austere. I picked out three options for your consideration. After the taping, you have a lunch meeting with . . .”
As Veronica’s voice drones on, I tune her out. On the corner of my desk is one of the pictures I took of Marlowe this weekend. She’s standing on the cliff with her face lifted to the sun, her long dark hair blowing in the wind. She’d looked so damn beautiful my heart ached.
I couldn’t wait to frame the picture and display it on my desk.
Now it mocks me like a cruel joke.
“. . . Businessweek called to confirm your photo shoot next week. They want you to wear a Yu-Gi-Oh costume for the cover.”
“Fine, whatever.” A beat passes before Veronica’s words sink in. “Wait, what?”
She laughs. “I knew you weren’t paying attention.”
I give her a disgruntled look. “Yu-Gi-Oh? Really?”
“Sorry, boss. Couldn’t resist.” She smiles for a moment before the humor fades from her eyes. “Is everything okay?”
“Just peachy.” I gesture impatiently. “What else you got for me?”
She frowns. “What’s the point of me talking if you’re not going to listen?”
I narrow my eyes at her.
She narrows hers right back. Her ability to cut through my bullshit is just one of the many qualities that makes her an indispensable assistant.
“Fine,” I relent gruffly. “Let’s pick this up later?—”
“—when you’re more focused. I agree.” Veronica stands with her tablet and strides to the door, where she turns and fixes me with a meaningful look. “Should I send her flowers?”
I feign ignorance. “Who?”
She snorts and shakes her head before walking out the door.
Annoyed with myself, I swivel my chair around to face the window and the morning sunlight bathing the city below. I’m not thinking about the view or the myriad tasks demanding my attention.
I’m thinking about Marlowe. I haven’t seen her since yesterday, and it’s driving me out of my mind.
When I got home last night, I went straight to her room to talk to her, to assure her that my ex was out of the picture. But she was nowhere to be found. With worry and frustration tightening my nerves, I called her to find out where she’d gone. She declined the call and texted to say she was spending the night at Quinn’s. Striving for patience, I texted back to ask her to come home so we could hash things out like mature adults. The “mature adults” part probably rankled her, because she never responded.
Later that night, after hours of tossing and turning and replaying every word of our argument, I grabbed my phone and tried to reach her again. The call went straight to voicemail.
I’ve been stewing ever since.
“I’m heading out.”
I swivel away from the window to stare at my brother in the doorway. “Where’re you going?”
“Where do you think? I’m going to Tokyo to oversee the Tech Fury app launch.” Maverick cocks his head, frowning incredulously at me. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”
“Of course not,” I mutter, forking a hand through my already mussed hair.
Maverick prowls closer, his eyes narrowed on my face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Have a good trip.”
“Uh-uh. Not so fast.” He perches on the corner of my desk, arms folded across his chest as he studies me. “Just yesterday you brokered a sweet nine-figure deal, and before that you were chilling on a tropical island with a hot young babe. You should feel on top of the world right now. So why do you look like someone just shit in your cornflakes?”
“I don’t eat cornflakes,” I grumble. “And you have a flight to catch.”
“I’m not leaving till you tell me what’s bugging you.”
I scowl. “You have a bad habit of being late?—”
“Fuck you. Start talking.”
After a few seconds of us glaring at each other, I curse under my breath and fall back against my seat. “I had a fight with Marlowe.”
“Seriously? You lovebirds just got back from your quasi-honeymoon. What the hell did you fight about?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Then hurry up and start talking.”
I shoot him another scowl.
He laughs. “C’mon. Out with it. What happened?”
“Harlan happened.”
Just hearing his name instantly darkens Maverick’s expression. “What’d that motherfucker do this time?”
“He was the guest lecturer for Marlowe’s class yesterday. I went up there to take her to dinner to celebrate the biotech contract. When I saw her walking out with Harlan . . . hell, I just lost it.”
“With good fucking reason. What happened?”
I tell him about the tense confrontation and the ensuing showdowns with Marlowe and Laurene.
“Shit,” he says grimly. “Both Harlan and your ex are causing trouble? Talk about a double whammy.”
“Tell me about it,” I growl with renewed anger.
“Pretty damn convenient that Harlan showed up in Marlowe’s class, of all places.”
“It wasn’t a coincidence,” I say darkly. “I spoke to Oscar, our mutual acquaintance who recorded the video of Marlowe’s performance. When he chatted her up at the party, she told him she was attending grad school at UT. He must’ve mentioned this to Harlan, not realizing he’d run with it.”
Maverick snorts. “Of course he ran with it. He’s been plotting his next move ever since we saw him last summer at Sun Valley.” He’s referring to an invite-only conference attended by tech giants and media moguls. “Remember how pissed he was when our panel drew twice the crowd his did? He had a damn meltdown, went on that epic rant that got leaked to the press.”
I smile narrowly at the memory. “’Twas a thing of beauty.”
“Yes indeed.” Maverick chuckles a few moments longer before sobering. “You can’t let that evil bastard get his clutches in Marlowe. He’ll destroy her just for the sick thrill of it.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I lean back in my chair, grinding my jaw. I feel a killing rage at the thought of Marlowe working for Harlan. Spending time alone with him. Falling prey to his deceptive charm.
Maverick eyes me sympathetically.
“I think I fucked up,” I mumble. “I didn’t handle the situation well, and now Marlowe thinks I’m an overbearing hypocrite who wants to have his cake and eat it, too.”
Maverick’s jaw drops in disbelief. “Who are you and what have you done with my twin?”
I glare at him. “Very funny. I’m being serious.”
“So am I. The Gunner Ransom I shared a womb with rarely second-guesses himself.”
I scowl. “You make me sound like an intransigent asshole.”
“You are an intransigent asshole, but that’s never been an issue for you until now.” He appraises me with a mixture of humor and amazement. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
“She means a lot to me,” I admit in a quiet voice. “I don’t want to lose her.”
“Then don’t,” Maverick says. “Cutting ties with Laurene was a necessary step in the right direction. If you want a serious relationship with Marlowe, prove it to her. Romantic getaways and expensive gifts are hella nice, but she’s clearly the type of woman who needs more than grand gestures. And that’s a damn good thing.”
I look at Maverick for a long moment, then drag a hand down my face and blow out a heavy breath. “Thanks for the pep talk.”
“Hey, what are brothers for?”
I smile faintly. He’s more than just my brother. More than my best friend and right-hand man. He was there every step of the way, through the highs and lows, helping me build Pantheon into a multibillion-dollar empire. He’s my fucking rock, and I don’t know what I’d ever do without him.
“You’d better get going,” I say gruffly. “Text me when you land.”
He gives me a lazy salute. “Aye, aye, captain.”
Shortly after he leaves, my phone rings on the desk. When I answer, the caller identifies himself as a casino manager in Oklahoma.
“Your father’s been here all night. Before he passed out at the blackjack table, he was bragging about his billionaire sons. We couldn’t wake him up, so I went through his phone and got your number. I figured I’d best call you rather than the police.”
“Thanks for the courtesy,” I grit out, my temple pounding with every syllable. “I’m on my way.”
I hang up and call my helicopter pilot to arrange a pickup. Then I call the head of security at Aspen Oaks and rip him a new asshole for allowing my father to sneak off the property.
When I’m done with him, I grab my suit jacket and storm out the door, stopping at Veronica’s desk outside my office.
“Something’s come up and I need to leave. You’ll have to cancel my appointments today, reschedule the taping and chair the logistics meeting this afternoon.”
“Yes, sir,” Veronica says with her usual brisk efficiency.
“If you need anything, you can reach me on my cell.” I start to walk away, then double back. “About the flowers . . .”
“Yes?”
“Send three dozen white roses with Hawaiian orchids.”
Veronica smiles a wise, knowing smile. “Excellent choice.”