C3, PT. 2

The reference to last night’s argument made her straighten. “You never answered my question.” When he raised a brow, she prodded his rock-hard pecs. “Why are you doing business with so many of my father’s friends?”

“They’re not friends, they’re colleagues. There’s a difference.”

“William Davies is family to me. I had sleepovers at his house with Penelope and—”

“They may be an exception, but it’s dangerous to consider these people friends. Maximus strived to keep everything professional. He didn’t allow Colette and Ariana to develop close emotional ties in case they needed to be severed.” He considered her thoughtfully. “Strange that his strict standards didn’t extend to you. He allowed you to develop relationships with his colleagues children, which has served you well. Those bonds are still intact despite the intervening years. Your sisters haven’t maintained many relationships beyond the boardroom.”

She refrained from pointing out that he didn’t have any relationships in or outside of work, but he was speaking freely and she needed answers. “Out of the thousands you could do business with, why them?” she asked doggedly.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached behind her to fix the hood of her jacket, which must be in some disarray to set off his OCD.

“Your grandfather was a savvy man. He created a tight-knit global network. Each person was strategically picked for their industry, location, and other criteria that’s helped your family maintain their position at the top. Your father refined that organization into a weapon that can sway economies and governments.”

His hands slid beneath her jacket to caress bare skin. She hated the liberties he was taking, but was leery of interrupting as he divulged insider knowledge he had never shared in all the time she’d known him.

“When Maximus’ health declined, your sisters neglected those ties, leaving an opening for me to get my foot in the door. I didn’t have the resources, influence, or pedigree that the Davies and Wu’s require to do business with them. Grayson’s connections helped, but that wasn’t enough. I had to prove myself in other ways.”

Her pulse skipped. “What ways?”

She felt a draft on her abdomen as the jacket shifted so he could cup her right breast.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me,” she challenged, and valiantly fought the urge to slap his kneading hand.

“My business dealings don’t concern you.”

She arched into his touch as her back went ramrod straight. “Just as it doesn’t concern me that Colette made bad business decisions that affected Hennessy & Co, Rami has underworld ties, and Ariana’s an addict? I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Colette’s mistake and Dad blackmailing you!”

“Don’t kid yourself. We still would have ended up here.”

A nipple swipe left her grinding her teeth. There was no way in hell she would have given him the time of day after he called her a whore. If Colette hadn’t gone into premature labor from stress, she would have buried herself at Tuxedo Park and let the world burn while she finished her book. But that was a moot point and there were more important things to discuss.

“These people that made you prove yourself… Are they included in those you’ve sworn revenge on, who ran you out of the States?”

He didn’t respond, he just stared at her with that stony gaze that told her absolutely nothing.

“Roth?” She twisted her hand in his shirt as her nerves stretched. “If you’re planning to fuck over the Davies or Baldacci’s—”

“I have no reason to fuck them over at the moment.”

That wasn’t quite the reassurance she was looking for, but it would have to do. “Your vendetta…”

“Doesn’t include your friends here. Your father’s cronies in New York are a different matter.”

“But—”

His hand left her breast as he stepped back and ran his hand through his hair in an uncustomary display of irritation.

“You never learned how to separate business from personal. You’re too idealistic and noble to see things as they are.”

“And you’re too close-minded and cynical to see what could be,” she retorted. “Most of these people—William Davies, Frederick, Charon—I assume they’re part of this elite fraternity you’re talking about. These relationships aren’t just based on power and financial gain, but trust and longevity. They’re good people, not pawns to play with and then discard when you feel they’ve served their purpose.”

He stared at her for a long moment. “I forgot how integrated you are in this world.”

She got the impression he wasn’t pleased by her knowledge of the inner workings of the upper echelon. “Most men would be relieved their partners understand enough about the business world, so they don’t embarrass them in society.”

“It’s impossible to embarrass me.” His eyes tracked over her face and rested on her lips. “You argue and laugh with individuals who could collapse entire industries. You have no clue what they’re like behind closed doors.” His eyes lifted and fixed on hers. “But if someone could beckon out the shred of humanity they possess, it would be you. It’s not easy witnessing the effect you have on others.”

She made a face. “Who?”

“Guy Reed.”

It took her a moment to place the name. She groaned as she slipped off the counter. “Oh my God, you’re still harping on him? The only reason I got his attention is because he found out I’m a Hennessy.”

“You captured his attention because you made a fool of him,” he corrected. “There aren’t many women who can, and even fewer who would dare to put someone like him in their place.”

“He deserved it.” When Roth stared at her, arms crossed, she copied him. “What does Guy have to do with anything? I’ll never see him again.”

“No, you won’t,” he agreed. “But he isn’t the only one. There’s Matthew, Lincoln, Preston, and Julius, to name a few.”

She blinked. “What about them?”

“They danced attendance on you at Maximus’ funeral. They fetched you drinks, handed you tissues, and you were seen with Julius the following day.”

She was having trouble keeping up with this odd line of questioning. Those hellish weeks after Dad died were a blur of grief and loneliness. “Julius showed up at my apartment to see if I was okay. I didn’t want to invite him in because my place was a mess, so I suggested we go out for coffee. How could I have known there were paparazzi hanging around? It turned out to be good press for him since it deflected from his messy divorce, but it was hell for me. The speculation that I was going to become a politician’s wife…” She shuddered. “He apologized for the circus that followed.”

“Which is why you retreated to Tuxedo Park and where you had dinner with Matthew later that week.”

“His estate is five minutes away, and he called to…” She narrowed her eyes. “I thought you didn’t have access to Tuxedo Park.”

“Things changed once Maximus died.”

A member of her security team defected once her father passed? Or, had one of the local guards become a snitch? The fact that her whereabouts could be passed on without her knowledge to anyone willing to pay the price sent a chill down her spine. If her security coordinator, Sunny, suspected any of her bodyguards could be bought, she would have dismissed them immediately. How had Roth reacted when the snitch reported that she disappeared, only to discover her in Colorado? How different would things be if she hadn’t made that impulsive trip?

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Confessions. Please do not share or distribute.

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