Chapter Four #2
“She might tell us both to go to hell and refuse the whole arrangement. But given her financial situation, I doubt she’ll have that luxury.
” His eyes narrow slightly, reading my expression like a poker player watching for tells.
“Here, let me sweeten the winnings for you. If I lose, I’ll leave Kentucky permanently.
Transfer to Tennessee or Illinois. Shit, I’ll go to our newest distillery in Quebec.
And I’ll sign over my share in the company to you. ”
I freeze, fighting to maintain a neutral expression.
Relief and peace fill me at the mere thought of his absence.
Thorne might have destroyed my marriage and shattered my trust, but bourbon and business continue, and I’ve had to endure his presence at work every single damn day.
The constant reminder of his betrayal is a festering wound that refuses to heal.
Then I remember Rosalia. It’s nearly two months from March until the Blackstone Bourbon Classic party. Dating her isn’t the issue. It’s the lying, the manipulation, the hidden agenda hanging over every interaction. The thought makes me sick.
I shake my head. “No.”
“No? What about your Rose losing her bookstore?” he taunts.
“I’ll help her find another location.”
“If you don’t agree, I’ll make sure she never opens another bookstore in Kentucky. I’ll blacklist her with every bank and property owner from Louisville to Lexington.”
My blood runs cold. “You can’t do that.”
“Can’t I? Who do you think the property managers listen to? Who has connections with every major bank in Kentucky? Hell, throughout the U.S?” The threat emerges as a hushed promise. “I can ruin her, Sebastian. Not just evict her—destroy her. She’ll never recover.”
My hands curl into fists. “This is blackmail, Thorne. You’re using an innocent woman as collateral damage in your power play.”
My brother’s smile doesn’t falter. “I prefer to think of it as creative negotiation, but you can call it what you want. Business leverage. Incentive structure.”
“There’s nothing creative about it,” I snap. “Are you really willing to destroy an innocent woman’s livelihood over our feud? Commit actual criminal extortion?”
“Don’t be so dramatic.” He waves his hand dismissively. “In bourbon and business, we all use the leverage we have. Dad taught us that, didn’t he?”
“Dad never taught us to be criminals,” I growl, but it’s more from frustration than indignation. Our father had his own moral blind spots when it came to getting what he wanted.
Thorne shrugs. “If your precious principles are too expensive for you, then refuse the bet. I’ll continue with the eviction process and follow through on everything else I promised,” he says in a silky whisper.
“But if you accept and she proves me wrong about her character, I’ll not only leave Kentucky, but I’ll sign over ownership of the building to her.
She’ll never have to worry about eviction again. ”
“And if I lose?” The words scrape my throat.
“You step down as master distiller. The position is mine, as it should have been all along. And you sell me your controlling shares at half their value. ”
“That’s absurd,” I scoff.
“Is it?”
I stare at my brother, seeing the malice behind his smile. “Yes. You’re threatening to demolish everything she’s built. All because you’re pissed Dad named me head of Blackstone Bourbon.”
Thorne doesn’t answer, just continues to stare at me.
I’m trapped. If I agree to this twisted wager, any genuine connection I might have built with Rosalia will be poisoned from the start.
I’ll be courting her under false pretenses, manipulating her to win a bet.
And even if she passes his test, even if she chooses loyalty to me over saving her store, how could I ever tell her that our relationship began as a bargaining chip?
The thought of her warm brown eyes turning cold with betrayal makes my chest tighten.
“What’s to stop me from telling her everything the moment we’re alone?” I challenge.
His smile turns predatory. “The agreement will state that if you tell her or hint at our arrangement in any way, you forfeit immediately. Meaning, I’ll win. And, Bastian, I’ll know.”
“How? Planning to spy on us?”
“I don’t need to. You’re my little brother who’s painfully transparent when you feel guilty.” He leans forward. “Besides, part of you wants to know if she’s different. If you can really trust your judgment when it comes to women.”
His words hit like a sucker punch, targeting my deepest insecurity: that I’m blind when it comes to reading people I care about. Tiffany isn't the first to leave me bleeding after I handed over my trust.
“This way, you get certainty,” Thorne continues, his voice almost gentle, like the sociopath actually cares. “If she passes, you’ll know for sure she’s different. If she fails…” He shrugs. “Better to know now than later.”
The worst part is, some wounded part of me finds his logic appealing. But then I picture Rosalia, trapped by this arrangement, believing she has to betray me to save her store .
“You know,” Thorne says, swirling the last of his bourbon espresso, “this is just the latest in our long line of competitions, isn’t it? From the science fair in seventh grade to the bidding war for the Wilkerson estate whiskey collection.”
“This isn’t a competition. This is you ruining an innocent woman over our personal vendetta.”
“It’s about character. Like when Dad would test us.” His eyes darken. “Remember when he’d leave cash on the counter to see if we’d take it? Or how he’d ask one of us to cover for his affairs to see if we’d lie to Mom?”
The memory of those “tests” burns like cheap moonshine. “Don’t compare this to that.”
“Why not? We learned something valuable, didn’t we? That people will always disappoint you, given the right incentive.” His voice hardens. “You think your bookworm is different? That she’s somehow above basic human nature?”
“And this ‘test’ is as faulty as one of Dad’s. You’re asking her to betray me before she even knows me. Of course, she’d agree now. Why wouldn’t she? She’d be saving her bookstore by betraying a stranger.”
“But she’ll know you by the derby party,” Thorne counters.
“And by then it will be too late. She’ll know me better, might even care about me, but she’ll still be bound by an agreement she made when I meant nothing to her. She’ll have wasted months that could have been spent finding another location.”
“I’m not a complete monster,” he says, leaning back.
“The deal will have an out clause. I’ll tell her she’s free to find another building for her bookstore from now until the party.
I’ll even provide names of bankers and lawyers who handle real estate and business ventures.
If she finds another place, showing she’s willing to take the harder path rather than fucking you over, I won’t hold her to our agreement.
” He smirks. “Hell, I’m such a nice guy that if she passes our test, I’ll make up some excuse for renewing her lease.
You two can keep dating, build your life together, whatever.
She’ll never know it started as a wager. And you’ll know she’s worth trusting. ”
“Why are you really doing this?” I frown, unable to piece it together. “Either way this plays out, you won’t get her bookstore for the Willow Hotel purchase and expansion.”
“Because this is so much better. Why settle for her little corner when I can have the whole damn company?” He settles back in his chair like a chess master who’s announced checkmate.
Shit. I shouldn’t agree. It’s wrong, but damn, he’s backed me into the perfect corner. I can let him destroy an innocent woman for certain, or take a gamble that might save her and finally get him out of my life.
My brother sits forward, steepling his fingers. “If you think about it, I’m doing you a favor.”
“If you truly wanted to do me a favor, then just leave. That solves my issue and Rosalia’s. And it’s quicker than this asinine bet.”
Thorne throws his head back with a laugh that echoes through his corner office.
“Oh, Bastian. That’s what I love about you, always the optimist. But let’s be honest here.
When this is all over, I’ll have proven what we both already know: everyone has their price, even your precious bookworm.
And once she betrays you, I’ll finally take my rightful place in the family business.
” He spreads his hands across the mahogany desk, as if already claiming territory.
“Dad may have given you the crown, but I’m the one who was born to wear it.
So enjoy your last few months as the golden boy of Blackstone.
Those controlling shares you’re so proud of?
Consider them mine at half price. After all, it’s only fair that family gets a discount. ”
I draw a slow breath, weighing my options.
This is manipulation, plain and simple. Another of my brother’s games where he’s already arranged all the pieces.
I tap my fingers against my thigh, a quiet metronome counting the cost of each choice.
Whose future do I risk, hers or mine? The decision shouldn't be this difficult, yet I’m paralyzed.
“Okay, walk away.” He shrugs. “I’ll start making calls this afternoon. By the end of the week, your precious bookworm will be facing financial ruin.”
I hold up a hand. I can't let him destroy her. “Wait. ”
His face lights up with triumph.
“Fine,” I grit out. “But we put it in writing. Every detail.”
“A handshake isn’t good enough between brothers?” he mocks.
“No. We’ll have a formal contract drafted by independent counsel, with explicit terms for both scenarios. Daniel will contact you shortly.”
Thorne drums his fingers on the desk. “We’ll need an ironclad NDA as part of the package. Complete confidentiality. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, including your bookworm, you forfeit immediately.”
“You mean you want to protect yourself from anyone finding out about your blackmail and extortion,” I shoot back.
His smile falters slightly before turning cold and calculating. “Call it what you want. The NDA is non-negotiable. After all, we’re just two businessmen making a gentleman’s wager. No need for outside interference.”
“I want it stipulated that if she passes your test, you not only leave Kentucky but sign over legal ownership of her building to her directly, not to me. And it needs to be ironclad with no loopholes, no ‘creative interpretations’ like when you reneged on the Marshall property.”
His jaw tightens. “Fine. And when she fails, I want similar ironclad terms for your surrender of your position here and the shares.”
He extends his hand. “Deal.”
We shake, it lingers on my palm like a stain I can’t wash off.
I’ve signed away a small piece of my soul.
Then it hits me with the force of a sledgehammer, knocking me off-kilter.
Thorne’s a mirror image of our father, doing whatever it takes to win.
And like our dad, he’ll manipulate and destroy anyone in his way.
“I’ll have my papers drawn up today,” Thorne says, reaching for his phone. “I look forward to running this company, little brother.”
I turn to leave, disgust churning in my gut like poisoned bourbon. This is a mistake that will haunt us both.
“Oh, and Sebastian?” he calls after me. “Every man has his weakness. And I think you are about to know yours. Intimately. ”
I walk to the door without looking back, the weight of what I’ve agreed to is suffocating me like an anchor dragging me to hell. I’ve put Rosalia in the crosshairs of my brother’s twisted game. But what choice did he leave me? None. I’m left to save her by destroying any chance we might have had.