Chapter 27
Bodhi
Fucking Kasen siccing Gloria on me. The woman is batshit crazy.
She was on her knees practically begging to suck my dick, her lips all pouty and shit, but all I could think about was the lunch Kasen was having with Dove.
Would she be angry when she worked out it was all a set-up to control her?
My guess was absolutely. Would have liked to be there for that showdown, but he made sure both River and I had other shit to do.
So distracted with thoughts of Dove, I showed Gloria the plans then led her back out of my office quick smart. She was clearly pissed, but what did she expect? I have no interest in fake chicks like her. I did what I was told and showed her the plans.
When I got sick of not being able to concentrate, I left the office and came back home to finish what I had to do while waiting for them to get back from lunch.
I knew she would be a distraction for River and Kasen, but nothing could have prepared me for how obsessed I would become with knowing where she was and exactly what she was doing at all times.
Our security cameras catch most of it, but when she is out of the house like now, I itch to see her again.
With a tumbler of whiskey at my side, I scan over the contracts for our new golf course on my laptop.
This project is going to make us billions with the construction contract alone.
It’s insane to think not that long ago we were struggling to eat, and now we can have anything we want at our disposal.
As much as Keller was an evil cunt, he knew what he was doing.
I click off the plans and onto my side project.
We had the Southern Breakers’ bank accounts emptied, all funds stored in an offshore account that will eventually go back to the girls they were exploiting.
When I track them all down. The Silver Room has been shut for a couple of days, and from the cameras we had installed in their clubhouse, it appears to be boarded up.
My guess is anyone attached to the club is hiding.
With the trap I set up for them, it looks like they owe quite a substantial amount of cash to some pretty dodgy people.
I look forward to logging back in and seeing the state of the place in a few days.
Something tells me shit is about to get real down in Breakers Point.
“Kasen’s plan worked, there are already photos of him and Dove online,” River announces, plonking down next to me on the sofa.
I snatch his phone from his hand and inspect the new story.
To anyone else, he and Dove would appear to be a happy couple out to have some fancy lunch, but I know Dove, and the way her hands are balled into fists tells me she wasn’t as into this kiss as K would have the world believe.
He’s so obsessed with getting what he wants, he can’t even see the damage he’s causing in the process, and he won’t hear me out.
When I bring it up, he shuts me down, says I’m too close to the situation to see.
Thinks I’m the one with the problem because I have a hard-on for her.
“Helps when you own the establishment and the media outlet,” I grumble, already knowing the backlash from this is going to be a problem. We need her on side, not hating us.
“Saw you disappear with Gloria at the office. She live up to her reputation?” he asks when I have been staring at his screen for long enough for it to go black.
I pass his phone back. “K’s idea of a joke. Didn’t work out so well for Gloria.” I chuckle out a laugh, picturing her angry face when I led her back to her office alone. She won’t be bothering me anymore.
“You turned her down?” he asks, surprised.
“I don’t fuck anything that moves,” I mutter, unimpressed.
He raises a suggestive eyebrow, trying to bait me. “Normally you do.”
I dump my laptop on the coffee table and collect up my tumbler, finishing off what’s left of my drink. “Well, today I wasn’t in the mood. We have too much shit going on.”
“Yeah, it’s work that has your mind in a tailspin, not a certain silver-haired beauty.
” He chuckles, shoving me in the arm. That’s it for me, I’ve had enough of this shit.
I slide my arm around his neck, tightening it into a headlock.
With a grunt, I drag him onto the carpet, the plush pile muffling our struggle.
River tries to shove me off, but he’s laughing too hard, and it gives me the upper hand. “All I’m saying is you need to get laid, big guy. You’re obsessed with her. How many times you watched her on the surveillance today?”
“How old are you two?” Dove appears behind us in the doorway.
Her comment is meant to be her having a go at us, but her voice is flat and she looks kinda strange.
The dress Kasen picked out for her fits her to perfection and is sexy as hell.
It’s not so much the way she appears, more her posture.
Defeated maybe? Very unlike her when she’s normally all fight.
Maybe Kasen is wearing her down with his powerplays after all.
I shove at River one more time just so he gets the hint then I release him. “Old enough,” I grumble.
River thinks the whole thing is hilarious and hasn’t taken a breath.
But he won’t be laughing if she heard that last comment about us watching her.
He takes his place back on the lounge with a stupid smirk aimed at me.
“Hey, babe, how was lunch?” he calls to her, patting his lap for her to come join him.
She huffs out a breath. “Everything I expected.” She rolls her eyes, moving over to him with familiarity.
She likes River, has let him get real close already, where she still keeps me and K at arm’s length.
I get it, the kid is easy to be around. I think she’s going to keep walking and take a seat in the recliner but instead, to my surprise and River’s by his expression, she plonks down onto this lap, kicking off her extra-high heels.
“You boys got anything decent to drink round this place? I need something stiff.”
I grumble out a laugh. Yeah, K might have gone too far this time.
The girl is a mess. Needing a refresher myself, I stand and move across the room, finding the good stuff, top-shelf whiskey he saves for special occasions.
Looks to me like she could use it. “You still on the pain meds?” I ask, holding it just out of reach.
“What do I need those for?” She smirks, all innocent. She’s such a brat. One of these days I’m going to teach her smart mouth a lesson—and every other part of her.
I slip the glass into her hand then go back to fill one of my own, knowing my chance of getting any more work done now that she and River are hanging round is going to be near impossible. Might as well enjoy my afternoon with the two of them.
She lies back on River, and he wraps a lazy arm around her, making himself comfortable. She sips on her drink, watching me for a second before giving her attention back to him. “You need any help down at the bar tonight?” she asks.
He runs a hand up her thigh. The two of them together is quite a sight.
I’m not jealous, more immersed in how comfortable they are.
She trusts him, and for the first time since she got back here, I realize that’s what I want.
I want her to look at me like she used to.
With a fluttering of her long dark lashes and a blush on her cheeks.
“Having a night off, babe. You can come with me tomorrow if you want?”
“Yeah, anything to get me out of this place,” she mutters almost absentmindedly. She’s really off this afternoon. Sad in a way I haven’t seen before.
“What happened at lunch?” I ask, sure it’s got something to do with her melancholy mood. I have the sudden urge to be the one to take away her pain.
She sits up, assessing me for a second before her expression changes. “You guys want to do something fun?” she asks before tossing back the remainder of what was a very full glass, meant for sipping, not chugging.
River grins at her, his eyes lighting up. “Always up for a good time, baby. What you got in mind?”
What was that, her change of mood? My eyes lock with hers in question. She can’t hide shit from me.
She raises a challenging brow. “Slater?” she says my name like a dare.
“Where’s K?” I ask her instead, knowing for sure she’s up to no good. Since when does she want to hang out with us and have fun? Something happened on that lunch, and I want to know what it was.
She shrugs. “Probably trying to destroy someone else’s life.
That’s the shit he lives for, isn’t it?” Her eyes flash with mischief.
“Hey, Slater, did you have fun with Gloria today? It’s a pretty messed-up kink, screwing Keller’s wife, she’s practically your stepmum isn’t she, but whatever excites you I guess, I’m not here to judge.
” Her bitchy-as-hell expression tells me that’s exactly what she’s doing, judging me.
Of course he told her over lunch, probably had a good laugh about it as well.
I return her grin. “Yeah, kinks seem to be your specialty. I don’t think there was one you didn’t try, right?
I think daddy’s little girl was my personal favorite.
You pull that off better than most.” She’s a smart girl, knows what I’m implying, and it’s probably a low blow since I know how sensitive she was about the whole OnlyFans thing, but she’s the one who started it.
Anger clouds her pretty features. She pushes off River’s lap to standing, stalking across the room toward me. “Fuck you, Slater, where is my fucking phone?” she demands, both hands flying to her hips in outrage. In the fancy dress she has on, her snippy attitude looks comical.